The Ponified Recreation of Doctor Who
by The Wholocked Brony
Summary: Season 1. This is supposed to be what the title says. If the Doctor was a Time-Pony, has always been a Time-Pony, and (for the see-able future) will always be a Time-Pony. With his companion Roseluck, the 9th Doctor sets off on adventure. Starting with episode 1, "Roseluck" and going all the way to "The Parting of the Ways", with 1 special thrown in
1. Episode 1, Roseluck

Doctor Whooves Episode 1

**Warning: This one "chapter" is an entire episode so if you don't like reading really really long pages, PM me with your opinion and I'll fix it into each episode gets a few chapters.**

_Roseluck_

_**Cue theme song!**_

Our story begins in Hoofdon, (pony London) a sprawling city just on the other side of the mountain which Canterlot sits. It's an old city, was the very first Equestrian capitol. Then it was Manehatten and then Canterlot. But, back to Hoofdon.

It's a large mainly modern city with a river cutting it in half. This river is the Thames, named after a very close friend to the Princesses in early days. So, Hoofdon, large city, very popular among tourists, and very very busy. Ponies of every kind hustling and bustling living their daily lives.

One pony in particular, Roseluck, was pretty happy with her position in society. She had a good job, a nice house, (where she lived with her mum Lilly-luck) and a smart boyfriend. Roseluck was earth pony, with a pink mane with dark and light pink streaks, and a cream coat. Her cutie-mark was a rose, with thorns mind you, her talent was growing lovely flowers but that doesn't make you many bits in a big city.

To make the money Roseluck needed, she had a job at a department store called "Hoofdon's Best". It sold all sorts of things, but mostly clothing, shoes, and jewelry. Her job was to fill the empty shelves. Roseluck going to work actually was what caused the whole plastic pony problem. (try saying that three times fast)

* * *

It was a Monday; Roseluck had been on time for work. She'd worked her flank off shelving clothing just so she'd be able to have a thirty-minute break at noon. Then she'd rushed to the nearest café where she met her boyfriend Gear for lunch. (A little about gear: he is a Pegasus stallion who is a light turquoise color with a short green mane and a cutie mark of four gears linked together.) After Roseluck's lunch break (which was more than thirty minutes) she went back to work and continued to shelve.

"Attention shoppers," the manager said over store-wide intercom around nine-O'clock, "The store will be closing in twenty minutes." Roseluck set down her last pile of clothing and trotted towards the door with the other workers and shoppers. The security guard, aka a pony called Night Shift who watched the doors for shoplifters, stopped her and waved a bag in Roseluck's face. It was the lottery money no one had turned in.

Roseluck grabbed the bag, stuffed it in her saddlebag, and made for the elevator. Stepping inside, she pressed the button for the lowest floor, storage and electricians office. The electrician, Spark Plug, had taken it upon himself to deal with the lottery money and extra stuff like that. Roseluck was on her way down to his office in the basement.

"Spark Plug!" she called hopping out of the elevator, "Spark Plug! I've got the lottery money!" She turned right and trotted down the hall towards Spark's office. Roseluck walked right up to the blue door labeled: chief electrician's office, and started pounding on it with her hoof.

"Spark Plug! I can't hang around too long cos' they're closing up shop," Roseluck pounded once more, "Spark Plug!" _Crash!_ She whirled around; something had just fallen, broken, smashed, in a nearby room. Suspecting it was Spark, Roseluck followed the sound into the room where all the plastic dummies were kept. They stood there motionless, wearing different cloaks, vests, hats, and dresses.

"Spark?" Roseluck called once more as she ventured into the storage room. _Slam!_ The metal doors that guarded the room closed. She dashed over and pulled hard on the handle, locked.

"Oh you've got to be kidding me." Then she heard hoofsteps.

"Is that someone mucking about?" Roseluck turned around, and saw one of the dummies moving.

"Yeah, you got me. Very funny," Roseluck said nervously chuckling, "Riiiiight I've got the joke! So whose idea was it? Was it Ginger? Well? Ginger is that you?" (Ginger was the most mischievous worker at Hoofdon's Best, he loved pranking anyone new, or the "seniors") More of the dummies began moving towards her, Roseluck backed up against the wall. She was cornered.

The lead dummy, and the few behind him, raised a front hoof as if to karate chop. Roseluck braced herself for a blow to the head, but somepony grabbed her hoof and tugged on her arm.

"Run," he said, and they ran. The doors had been unlocked, thank Celestia, leaving the two ponies a clear path. And the dummies. They darted into the lift, (which surprisingly was still open) and set the co-ordinates for floor one. But one of the plastic monsters got its front leg between the doors. The strange stallion grabbed it and pulled once, twice, and with the third tug, it popped off and the doors closed.

"You pulled his arm off!" Roseluck cried.

"Yep. Plastic," the stallion said tossing it to her. Roseluck was not convinced that those things were plastic, "Very clever. Nice trick! Who were they then? Children? Is this a foal thing or what?"

The stallion just stared at her, "Why would they be foals?"

"I don't know."

"Well you said it, why kids?"

"'Cos to get that many ponies dressed up and being silly, they got to be kids," Roseluck explained.

"That makes sense," the stallion said smiling, "Well done."

"Thanks,"

"They're not foals." Roseluck rolled her eyes, "Whoever they are, when Spark Plug finds them, he's going to call the police."

"Who's Spark Plug?"

"Chief Electrician."

"Spark Plug's dead." The lift doors opened into the back room of Hoofdon's Best, the two ponies exited. Now, before we go on (and since I really think you need to know) I best explain what this mystery stallion looks like. Simply: light blue coat, short black mane and tail, wearing a black jacket, and an hourglass cutie-mark. Now, on with the chase!

"That's not funny!" Roseluck cried, "That's sick!"

"Hold on, mind your eyes," the stallion instructed. He waved something at the lift controls causing it to spark.

"I've had enough of this now," Roseluck said as they continued to run, "Who are you then? Who's that lot down there? I said, who are they?"

"They're made of plastic. Living plastic creatures. They're being controlled by a relay device on the roof, which would be a big problem if I didn't have this." He held up what looked like a small bomb, "So, I'm going up there to blow them up, and I might die in the process but don't worry about me. No, you go home." They had reached a back exit, the stallion was practically shoving Roseluck out, "Go on. Go on and have your lovely beans on toast. Don't tell anypony about this, because if you do, you'll get them killed." He shut the door, leaving Roseluck standing in the street with a plastic hoof and a bag of lottery tickets.

Roseluck turned to leave when the door opened and the stallion looked out, "I'm the Doctor, by the way. What's your name?"

"Roseluck."

"Nice to meet you Roseluck," held up the bomb again, "run for your life!" The Doctor dashed back inside the building, leaving Roseluck outside once more. The mare turned and made a dash for across the street. She nearly got run over in the process but she made it across alive just before the roof of Hoofdon's Best exploded in a massive fireball.

* * *

"I know, it's on the radio! It's everywhere. She's lucky to be alive," Roseluck's mother Lily-Luck said into the telephone. Lily was an earth pony like her daughter, but the only resemblance they had was their talents being about flowers; Lily had a greyish a raspberry coat and a blond mane and tail.

Roseluck was slumped on the sofa, tired of all this attention. Her claim when anyone asked about what had happened was that she'd been across the street getting coffee. Roseluck stared at the squeaking radio in slight annoyance, they were making too big a deal about one building going down. But then again, this sort of thing didn't usually happen. Then Gear arrived.

"I've been phoning for hours. You could've been dead!" he sat next to Roseluck on the sofa, "It's on the news and everything! I can't believe that your shop went up!" Roseluck rolled her eyes, "I'm alright, honest. I'm fine! Don't make such a fuss."

"Well, what happened?"

"I don't know!"

"What caused it? Did you see?"

"No I didn't, I was outside I didn't see." The Lily came rushing in, the phone clutched in her hoof, cord stretched to the max.

"It's Daisy on the line, she says she knows a man who works for the paper! Five hundred bits for an interview!" she cried pulling the phone towards Roseluck.

"Oh good, hold for a mo'," Roseluck hopped up, grabbed the phone, and hung up.

"Well you'll have to find some way to make money," Lilly-Luck said picking up the discarded phone, "Your job's kaput and I'm not bailing you out." Roseluck sat back down on the couch.

"Hey Roseluck, I know what you need," Gear said, "How's about you and me go down to the café for a bite to eat?"

"No thanks, I'm not really that hungry," Roseluck said, "And could you take that with you?" she asked pointing at her plastic souvenir. Gear hopped off the sofa and headed towards the door, grabbing the hoof in the process.

"Bye bye!" he said waving the plastic leg. "Bye Gear!" Roseluck said as he left. Outside, Gear walked behind the apartment building and tossed the plastic leg into the giant rubbish bins.

* * *

It's seven thirty and Roseluck is wide awake, but she's got no job to go to so she's sitting around in boredom.

"There's Finch's, you could try them, they've always got jobs," Lily-Luck suggested as they sat down for breakfast,

"Oh great, the pet shop," Roseluck moaned.

"Well, it might do you good. That shop was giving you a big head, and I'm not joking about the compensation money. You've got genuine shock and trauma!" Lily got up from the table with that final word and left for her room. Minutes later, the sounds of a hair dryer buzzed from down the hall.

Roseluck groaned in frustration. It had taken her forever to get the last job, how was she supposed to get another? _Tap, Tap-atap,_ something was rattling the cat flap on the door. Roseluck ignored it. _Tap, tap-tap-tap-tap,_ as the little sounds sped up they got more and more annoying. _Taptaptaptaptaptaptaptaptap,_ Roseluck finally snapped.

She leapt up from the table and ran towards the front door. Crouching down, Roseluck nudged the flap with her hoof. The flap rattled wildly then was pulled up. Roseluck gasped, on the other side, lying on the ground so as to look through the small opening, was The Doctor from last night. Roseluck shot to her hooves and opened the door. "What're you doing here?" he asked bewildered.

"I live here," Roseluck said.

"Well what'd you do that for?"

"Because I do. I'm only home because somepony blew up my job," she said. The Doctor glanced at the little silver device in his hoof, "I must've gotten the wrong signal. You're not plastic are you?" He tapped her on the head, "Nope, bone head. Bye then!" Roseluck grabbed his jacket, "You. Inside. Right now."

* * *

"Don't mind the mess, coffee?"

"Might as well then, thanks, no milk." Roseluck walked into the kitchen and put the coffee pot on, the Doctor walked into the living room.

"We should go to the police. Seriously. Both of us," Roseluck said as she brewed the coffee.

"That won't last, she's gay, and he's an alien," the Doctor said, glancing at a magazine in the other room.

"I'm not blaming you, even if it was just some sort of joke that went wrong," Roseluck explained pouring out the coffee.

"Hmm, that's new," the Doctor said after flipping through Roseluck's copy of Daring Do and the Dragon's Demise.

"They said on the radio they found a body."

"Roseluck, heh," the Doctor looked at himself in the hanging mirror, "Ah, could've been worse. But look at the color."

"All the same, Spark was a nice bloke," Roseluck muttered mixing her coffee up.

"Luck be a mare." Something scuttled behind the couch. "What's that then? You got a cat?"

"No." The Doctor peeked behind the lavender sofa, then the plastic hoof that Gear had "thrown away" flew out and wrapped itself around the Doctor's neck. (It would've been a headlock had there been a body attached to the arm) Roseluck walked in, carrying a tray with two cups of warm coffee. She took one look at the choking stallion and dismissed it as foals' play.

"I told Gear to throw that away," she said a bit angrily after setting the tray down. "You're all the same. Give a colt a plastic hand. Anyway, I don't even know your name. Doctor, what was it?" Roseluck stared at the Doctor, convinced that he was simply goofing around with the plastic limb, but when he unlatched it, the plastic flung itself at her and began trying to strangle her. The Doctor, grabbed the arm and began trying to pull it off Roseluck, both ponies pulled as hard as they could. The plastic wouldn't budge.

Needless to say, they got it off using that small silver device.

"It's alright, I've stopped it," The Doctor said after he'd scanned it with the silver thingy, shutting it off. "There you go, you see? Harmless."

"You think?"

* * *

"Hold on a minute! You can't just go swanning off!"

"Yes I can. Here I am this is me, swanning off. See you!"

"But that leg was moving, it tried to kill me!"

"Ten out of ten for observation." Roseluck was chasing the Doctor as he ran off to some unknown destination, she wanted answers.

"You can't just walk away. That's not fair! You've got to tell me what's going on!" she protested.

"No I don't," he just replied.

"Alright then," Roseluck said, "I'll go to the police. I'll tell everypony. You said, if I did that I'd get ponies killed. So, you're choice. Tell me, or I'll start talking."

"Is that supposed to sound tough?" asked the Doctor un-amused.

"Sort of."

"Doesn't work."

"Who are you?"

"Told you. The Doctor."

"Yeah, but, Doctor who?"

"Just the Doctor."

"The Doctor."

"Hello!"

"Is that supposed to sound impressive?"

"Sort of, yeah."

"Come on then. You can tell me, I've seen enough. Are you the police?" asked Roseluck as they trotted through the park behind the flat complex.

"No, I was just passing through. I'm a long way from home."

"But, what have I done wrong?" asked Roseluck, "How come those plastic things keep coming after me?"

"Oh, suddenly the whole world revolves around you. You were just and accident. You got in the way that's all."

"It tried to kill me!"

"It was after me, not you. Last night, in the shop, I was there, you blundered in, almost ruined the whole thing. This morning, I was tracking it down, it was tracking me down. The only reason it fixed on you is 'cos you met me."

"So, what you're saying is that the entire world revolves around you?"

"Sort of, yeah."

"You're full of it."

"Sort of, yeah."

"But, all of this plastic stuff. Who else knows about it?"

"No one."

"What, you're on your own?"

"Well who else is there?" asked the Doctor, "I mean, you lot, all you do is eat muffins, go to bed, and goof around, while all the time, underneath you, there's a war going on!"

"Okay," Roseluck said, "start from the beginning. I mean, even if they really are living plastic, which that I don't believe, how did you kill it?"

"The thing controlling it projects life into the leg. I cut off the signal and, there, dead."

"So it's magically controlled?"

"Thought controlled." The Doctor glanced over at Roseluck, "You okay?"

"Yeah," she replied, "So, who's controlling it then?"

"Long story."

"But what's it all for? I mean, shop window plastic ponies, what's that all about? Is somepony trying to take over Hoofdon's shops?" asked Roseluck chuckling at her own joke.

"No."

"No. Course not."

"It's not a price war," The Doctor said, laughing a little bit. But the he got real serious, "They're trying to over throw the Equestrian race and destroy you. Do you believe me?"

"No."

"But you're still listening." Roseluck stopped walking, and just stared at the Doctor.

"Really though, Doctor. Tell me, who are you?" The Doctor turned to face her.

"Do you know how we were talking, about Gaia revolving? It's like when you were a foal. The first time they tell you about how night and day work and you just can't quite believe it because you've never seen it work. Well I can feel it. Every time Celestia and Luna do their thing, I can feel them moving Gaia to change the night and day. Every time, every twenty four hours. We're being pushed through space, you and I, clinging to the skin of this tiny world," he paused, and looked Roseluck straight in the eye.

"That's who I am. Now forget me, Roseluck. Go home." The Doctor turned around and walked off, leaving a stunned Roseluck standing on the street corner. Roseluck took one last glance at the stallion that'd saved her life, and walked in the opposite direction. _Vrrrrrrm vrrrrm, _Roseluck paused, what was that? _Vrrrm, vrrm, _it was getting louder, and coming from somewhere behind. _VRRR VRRRR weeooo weooo_, the sound changed, becoming mixed with sounds Roseluck had heard with magic. She ran back to the street corner, nothing.

Except the blue box that had been sitting on the other street was gone.

* * *

Gear opened the door, "Hey hey, there's my mare." Roseluck smiled and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. She walked inside the flat, Gear shut the door behind her. "Coffee?"

"Yeah, but only if you wash the mug. And I don't mean rinse, I mean wash," Roseluck said, "hey, do you still collect old newspapers?"

"Yeah, they're in the living room," Gear said, "Why?" Roseluck ran into the room with the chairs, she quickly found the papers in a large pile behind the couch. Her search for answers had begun. Twenty minutes in, Gear came in with the coffee.

"Roseluck, what're you doing, exactly?" he asked pushing aside a pile of papers. Roseluck leapt up, "Yes! Oh baby yes! I found exactly what I was looking for!"

"And that is?"

"Information, and a stallion that's got it."

* * *

"You sure you want to do this Roseluck?" asked Gear as he and Roseluck walked through the Hoofdon neighborhood.

"Yes, I want to know more about The Doctor and Klondike seems to know what he's talking about," Roseluck and Gear stopped across the street from a small house with a red roof.

"You're not coming in? He's safe, got a wife and kids."

"Yeah, who told you that? No pony. For all you know he could be a psycho lunatic murderer."

"Yeah the Doctor could've been the same, yet he saved my life. You coming or not?" Gear stayed where he was on the sidewalk. Roseluck rolled her eyes and jogged across the street up to Klondike's house. She glanced back at Gear, and then knocked on the door. A colt answered it, he was wearing red soccer clothes.

"Hi, I've come to see Klondike? I've come to answer his add," Roseluck explained.

"Dad! It's one of your nutters!" the colt called into the house.

* * *

"That's him yeah?"

"Yeah, but this was years ago!"

"This one's the same stallion, but from even further back. Centuries."

"What d'you think is going on? Same pony appearing all throughout time."

"Yes, he's woven into some of the oldest Equestrian legends. When disaster comes, he's there. It's identical, every time. And one thing links them all together."

"What's that?"

"Death." Roseluck stared once again at the old yellowed paper. It was indeed the stallion she'd met on the street, but this was from so long ago that things weren't being recorded yet. It just wasn't possible.

"Roseluck, if you've seen the Doctor, one thing is for certain." Klondike said, "We're all in danger."

Outside: Gear was bored with waiting. He was sitting on the sidewalk humming a little tune as he waited. _GRSCHK! (Grinding sound)_ Gear stopped humming, he looked around. No ponies in sight, only a small plastic garbage can. He did a double take, the trashcan was closer now.

Inside: "If he's singled you out, if the Doctor's making house calls, then Celestia help you," Klondike warned. Roseluck was officially freaked out now.

"But who is he? Who do you think he is?"

"I think he's the same stallion. I think he's immortal. I think he's an alien from another world."

Outside: Gear cautiously approached the can, aware that it kept inching forward. He gently tapped the can, no detectable movement. Gear then made the decision and threw the lid off, empty. He closed the lid and tried to leave, but his hooves were stuck. He tried flying, but that only stretched the gooey stuff keeping him stuck.

The trashcan started to pull back; it opened the lid, and _whump!_ Gear was pulled inside.

At that moment, Roseluck came outside.

"Alright he's a nutter, completely off his head. You win!" she admitted to Gear, who was sitting in the same spot where she'd left him. He was smiling like an idiot, but Roseluck didn't notice.

"So, what'd do you want to do now? How about we get a pizza?" Roseluck asked.

"Pizza!" Gear said, "P-p-p-pizza!"

"Or sandwiches?"

"Pizza!" Gear got to his hooves and started walking off. Roseluck shrugged and followed him.

* * *

At a pizza parlor in downtown Hoofdon, Roseluck and Gear were seated by the window. Roseluck was talking away, Gear just smiled and nodded to everything she said.

"Do you think I could try the hospital? Lantern said they had jobs going in the salt lick. I could do A-levels. I dunno," she rambled, "What do you think?"

"So where did you meet this Doctor?" Gear asked, surprising Roseluck.

"Oh, I'm sorry, wasn't I talking about me for a moment?"

"Because I reckon it started back at the shop," Gear continued, oblivious to Roseluck's reply, "Am I right? Was he something to do with that?"

"No."

"Come on."

"Sort of…"

"What was he doing there?"

"I'm not going on about it Gear, really I'm not because, I know it sounds daft, but I don't think it's safe. I think he's dangerous," Roseluck said.

"But you can trust me sweetheart. Babe," his voice began changing, it sound sort of like a broken record, "sugar, babe. You can tell me anything. Tell me about the Doctor and what he's planning and I can help you Roseluck. Because that's all I really want to do," then his voice did the funky broken record thing.

"What're you doing that for?" asked Roseluck.

"Your champagne." A waiter said holding the bottle towards Gear.

"We didn't order any champagne," Gear growled, "Where's the Doctor?"

"Madam, your champagne."

"It's not ours. Gear what is it? What's wrong?" Roseluck was worried about her boyfriend's sanity, because something was definitely wrong.

"I need to find out how much you know, where is he?" Gear demanded.

"Doesn't anybody want this champagne?"

"Look we didn't-" Gear glanced up at the waiter, "Ah, gotcha." Roseluck looked at the waiter too, and gasped. It was the Doctor, and he was shaking the champagne bottle wildly.

"Don't mind me, just toasting the happy couple," he aimed the cork at Gear, "On the house!" _POP!_ The cork flew into Gear's head, literally, into his head. Gear's face sort of, blorbed out of focus then went back to normal. Then he spit out the cork.

"Anyway," Gear leapt into the air, hovered, and his hooves became giant hammers. Roseluck jumped out of her chair and away from the table just as Plastic-Gear smashed it. The Doctor jumped up and grabbed Gear's head. It popped off.

"Don't think that's gonna stop me," it said as the body continued to fly around smashing things. Roseluck pulled the fire alarm switch, "Everypony out! Out now! Get out, get out, get out!" The Doctor took off, Roseluck followed him. They ran through the kitchen where terrified ponies were scrambling to get out. The headless-plastic-pony kept coming, destroying anything in its way.

They ran through the storage area and out the back door, which was metal. Roseluck ran to the gate, it was padlocked. The Doctor walked over the the blue police box in the opposite direction.

"Open the gate!" she cried beginning to panic, "Use that tube thingy."

"It's a sonic screwdriver," the Doctor said, fishing a key out of his pockets. Loud bangs told Roseluck that the plastic thing was trying to break through.

"Use it!" Roseluck cried trying to push the gates open.

"Nah, tell you what, let's go in here." The Doctor unlocked the box and went inside.

"You can't hide inside a wooden box. It's going to get us! Doctor!" She ran into the box, stopped halfway in, and went back outside. She walked all the way around the wooden box, she felt the sides making sure they were solid, and real. _Crash!_ The plastic monster had gotten through the door. Roseluck made up her mind and ran in.

Inside the box, it was huge. Like someone had crammed a cathedral into the tiny wooden box. The room was fairly open, except for the odd twisting spires around the room. A large glowing console sat at the center of the room with a large column going from it to the ceiling. The walls were slightly curved and had little hexagonal pockets in them.

"It's going to follow us!" Roseluck cried closing the door.

"The entire Equestrian army couldn't get through there, and believe me, they've tried. Now shut up a minute." The Doctor was standing by the console thingy hooking a bunch of wires to Gear's plastic head.

"You see, the arm was too simple, but the head's perfect! I can use it to trace the signal to the original source," he glanced up from his work and over at Roseluck, she was staring around with wide eyes. The Doctor stepped away from the console and walked to the edge of the platform.

"Right, where do you want to start?" he asked.

"Um, it's bigger on the inside than it is on the outside?"

"Yes."

"It's magic?"

"Nope, alien."

"Are you alien?"

"Yes, is that alright?"

"Yeah."

"It's called the Tardis, this thing. T-A-R-D-I-S. That's Time And Relative Dimensions In Space." Roseluck was definitely in shock now, (I wonder if you can get compensation for walking into a dimensional altered box?) her boyfriend was made of plastic, she was talking to an alien, and… and… Roseluck couldn't take it anymore! She started to cry.

"That's okay," the Doctor said, "Culture shock. Happens to the best of us."

"Did they kill him?" Rosleuck asked, "Did they kill Gear? Is he dead?"

"Oh, didn't think of that."

"He's my boyfriend! You pulled his head off! They copied him and you didn't even think? And now you're just going to let him melt?"

"What?" Indeed, the plastic pony head was starting to bubble and turn into a blob of green plastic.

"Oh no no no no no no no!" The Doctor yelled running back over to the controls. He began pressing buttons, flipping switches, and pulling levers rapidly.

"What're you doing?" Roseluck asked as the Tardis began to rock.

"Following the signal. It's fading. Wait a minute, I've got it," he checked the screen, "No no no no no no! Almost there. Here we go!" He ran from the controls and out the door.

"You can't go out there! It's not safe!" She ran out after him, expecting to see plastic Gear waiting out there. Instead see saw the river Thames, bright light of the city glinting off the surface. They were on a bridge across the from the Hoofdon Eye that rested on the south bank.

"I lost the signal," the Doctor was grumbling, "I got so close."

"We've moved," Roseluck said in awe, "Does it fly?"

"Disappears here and reappears there, you wouldn't understand." He replied turning around in circles looking around.

"If we're somewhere else, what about that headless thing? It's still on the loose!"

"It melted with the head. Are you going to witter on all night?"

"I'll have to tell his mother," Roseluck sighed, she got a quizzical look from the Doctor.

"Gear? I'll have to tell his mother that he's dead, and you just went and forgot him again! You were right you are alien."

"Look, if I did forget some kid called Gear-"

"He's not a kid."

"It's because I'm trying to save every stupid pony blundering about on top of this planet alright?"

"All right."

"Yes, it is!"

"Wait, if you are an alien, then why do you sound like you're from the north?"

"Lots of planets have a north." Roseluck still had questions.

"What's a police public call box?" she asked pointing at the Tardis.

"It's a telephone box from another planet, it's a disguise," he patted the Tardis affectionately.

"Okay then… um, and this living plastic. What's it got against us?"

"Nothing, it loves you. You've got such a good planet. Lots of smoke and oil, plenty of… stuff in the air, perfect. Just what the Nestene Consciousness needs. It's food stock was destroyed in the war, all it's protein plants rotted so, Gaia, dinner!"

"Any way of stopping it?" The Doctor pulled a small bottle of blue liquid out of his jacket, "Anti-Plastic."

"Anti-plastic."

"Anit-Plastic!" he cried excitedly, "But first I've got to find it. How can you hide something that big in a city this small?"

"Hold on, hide what?"

"The transmitter. The Consciousness is controlling every piece of plastic, so it needs a transmitter to boost the signal."

"Well, what's it look like?"

"Like a transmitter! Round and massive, slap bang in the middle of Hoofdon! Huge, circular, like a wheel. Radial, close to where we're standing. Must be completely invisible." Roseluck leaned a little to the left and looked around the Doctor. He happened to be standing in front of the largest Ferris wheel in Equestria. The Hoofdon Eye. He turned around and looked at it, then back at Roseluck, "What?"

She nodded at the wheel.

"What?"

She nodded again.

"What? What is it?" Then the Doctor figured it out, "Oh. Fantastic!" He took off running, Roseluck ran after him, both of them were headed for the Eye.

"Think of it, plastic all over the world coming to life. Every plastic object waiting to live. Window dummies, the phones, the wires, cables,"

"Children's toys."

"Still, we've found the transmitter. The Consciousness must be somewhere underneath." Roseluck looked over the bridge's railing to a platform below. There was a metal door closed next to a bunch of odd machines.

"What about down here?" she asked pointing at the small metal hatch.

"Looks good to me." They found a staircase and ran down, the Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and pressed the button. The hatch popped open, red light glowed inside. He dropped down onto the ladder and started to descend, Roseluck followed shortly after.

The hatch led to a small brick room with lots of chains and stuff, the red light was coming from an open door connecting to another chamber. They walked into the room, in the middle sat a large vat of moving glowing hot plastic.

"The Nestene Consciousness. That's it, inside the vat. A living plastic creature," The Doctor said staring at the pile of goo.

"Well, then tip in your anti-plastic and let's go," Roseluck said.

"I'm not here to kill it, I've got to give it a chance," The Doctor said, he walked onto a nearby catwalk that hung over the vat.

"I seek audience with the Nestene Consciousness under peaceful contract of convention fifteen of the Shadow Proclamation." The stuff in the vat moved.

"Thank you, If I might have permission to approach?" Roseluck looked around the chamber, she spotted Gear on a lower level

"Oh Celestia thank you! Gear!" she cried running down the steps towards him, "Gear! It's me!" The Doctor face hoofed, ponies, they're in a chamber with a vat of living plastic and all they care about is each other.

"That thing down there, the liquid. Roseluck, it can talk!" Roseluck just hugged the scared stiff Pegasus.

"Oi!" the Doctor called, "Could you keep the domestics outside, thank you?" He turned his focus back to the plastic. "Am I addressing the Consciousness? Thank you. If I might observe, you infiltrated this civilization by means of warp shunt technology. So, may I suggest, with the greatest respect, that you shunt off?" A sort of face formed in the liquid, but it didn't really look like a pony.

"Oh don't give me that," the Doctor scolded the Consciousness, "It's an invasion, plain and simple. Don't talk about constitutional rights. I AM TALKING! This planet is just starting, these ponies have only just learnt how to walk, but they're capable of so much more. I'm asking you on their behalf. Please, just go."

"Doctor!" Roseluck cried. He whipped around and saw a pair of shop dummies, but they had already put him in a headlock and stolen the anti-plastic before he could do anything. The vat's contents roared with anger.

"That was just insurance. I wasn't going to use it. I'm not attacking you, I'm here to help! I'm not the enemy I swear!" he protested, "I'm not! What? What do you mean?" there was a loud grinding noise as part of the wall near Roseluck opened up to reveal the Tardis.

"No, oh no! Honestly no! Yes that's my ship. That's not true! I should know, I was there! I fought in the war, it wasn't my fault! I couldn't save your world I couldn't save any of them!"

"What's it doing?" called Roseluck slightly panicked.

"It's the Tardis! The Nestene's identified its superior technology. It's terrified. It's going to the final phase! Roseluck get out!" But Roseluck stayed where she was, unsure of what to do. Her mother could be in trouble, the whole world could be dying at the hand of plastic ponies. Was there anything one mare could do?

Energy shocks began blasting through the ceiling, plastic Armageddon had begun.

"Get out Roseluck!" the Doctor kept saying.

"The stairs are gone!" she yelled back as the metal staircase collapsed. She and Gear ran to the Tardis, it was locked.

"I don't have the key!"

"We're going to die!" Gear moaned. The plastic in the vast rippled with energy.

"No!" the Doctor cried. Then the Nestene spoke, "Time Pony." It said. Roseluck looked once more at the struggle below, and made up her mind. She ran away from the Tardis and around the chamber.

"Just leave him!" Gear cried, "You can't do anything." Roseluck stopped in front of a large chain. She turned around and bucked at the connection that held it in.

"I've got no A levels," kick, "No job," kick, "No future," snap! The chain was loose.

"But I'll tell you what I have got. Cherry Street Junior School under seven's gymnastics. I got the bronze." Roseluck grabbed the chain and jumped. She swung over the vat towards the Doctor and the plastic ponies. The Doctor ducked just as Roseluck passed, she knocked over both plastic imposters and sent the anti-plastic into the vat. The Nestene went from yellow and gold to red and green.

The signals stopped and the dummies froze. Roseluck leapt off the chain and landed by the Doctor. They ran for the Tardis, all three of them climbed in before the Nestene exploded.

* * *

The Tardis materialized not far from the restaurant where Plastic-Gear had run wild. The real Gear leaped out of the Tardis and ran twenty feet before hiding behind a trashcan. Roseluck stepped out of the Tardis too, followed by The Doctor.

"Fat lot of good you were," she said to him.

"Nestene Consciousness? Easy." The Doctor replied smugly.

"You were useless in there!" Roseluck said, "If it weren't for me, you'd be dead."

"Yes I would, thank you." He stepped back into the Tardis's doorway, "Right then, I'll be off, unless, er, I don't know, you could come with me. This box isn't just a Hoofdon hopper you know. It goes anywhere in the universe free of charge."

"Don't do it Roseluck!" Gear cried, "He's an alien! He's a thing!"

"And he's not invited," the Doctor said, "You could stay here, fill your life with work food and sleep, or you could go anywhere."

"Is it always this dangerous?" asked Roseluck.

"Yeah."

"Yeah, I can't. I've er, I've got to go find my mum and someone's got to look after that stupid lump," Roseluck sighed.

"Okay, see you 'round." He walked into the Tardis and the door closed. _Vrrrm, vrrrm,_ slowly, the Tardis vanished.

"Come one Gear, let's go," Roseluck said walking away. _VRRRM VRRRM_, Roseluck spun around, the Tardis had rematerialized. The Doctor opened the door and looked out, "By the way, did I mention it's also a time machine?" Roseluck smiled, then turned around and gave Gear a quick kiss.

"Thanks," she said.

"Thanks for what?"

"Exactly." Roseluck turned around and ran towards the open doors of the Tardis, let the adventure begin.

_To Be Continued in "The End Of The World"_

**Me: And that's a wrap! Anyways, cover art drawn by ****yuji8sushi. BBC owns all rights to Doctor Who and its characters, aliens, and amazing machines etc. Hasbro owns all rights to My Little Pony's places, ideas, and names like Canterlot and Roseluck. Until next time, Allonsy!**


	2. Episode 2, The End of the World

Doctor Whooves, Episode 2

_The End Of The World_

**This episode is supposed to be choppy. The line breaks represent camera changes to different areas or characters. This episode has a lot of those so, it's choppy.**

"Thanks," she said.

"Thanks for what?"

"Exactly." Roseluck turned around and ran towards the open doors of the Tardis, and ran right up to the console. The Doctor was leaning against the controls, "Right then Roseluck, you tell me. Where do you want to go? Backwards or forwards in time. It's your choice. What's it going to be?" Roseluck thought for a moment.

"Forwards."

"How far?"

"One hundred years." The Doctor smiled, he pulled a switch here, button there, and a little thingy-ma-bob.

"There you go. Step outside those doors, it's the twenty-second century," he said.

"You're kidding."

"That's a bit boring though, want to go further?"

"Yes please." A few more switches, two levers, one what-cha-ma-call-it, and a bell later.

"Ten thousand years in the future. Step outside, it's the year 11005, the new Crystal Empire," the Doctor proclaimed.

"You think you're so impressive," Roseluck said rolling her eyes.

"I am so impressive!"

"You wish." The Doctor smirked, "Right then, you asked for it. I know exactly where to go. Hold on!" More switches, a bell, and a roller-coaster like ride, then they landed.

"Where are we? What's out there?" Roseluck asked excitedly. The Doctor simply pointed to the door. Roseluck ran over and opened it.

They were in what looked like, a very fancy viewing room, with a large window covered by a metal plate. In front of the Tardis were large steps with a flight of small ones going down the center. Light plastic covers with light bulbs behind gave a nice lighting to the room Roseluck walked down to the window, and the shutters opened.

"Whoa," she said staring out. It was Gaia, the entire planet; she was on a space station, floating above her planet. The Doctor walked up and stood next to her, he looked out into space as well.

"You lot, you spend your time worrying about dying and little things like that. But you never take time to imagine the impossible, that maybe you survive. This is the year 5.5/apple/26. Five billion years in the future, and this is the day," he checked his watch, "Hold on," Outside, the sun flashed bright, turned red, and got really, really big. Roseluck looked at the Doctor, "This is the day the sun expands. Welcome to the end of the world."

**Cue theme song!**

_Shuttle five and six now docking,_ the computer said, _Guests are reminded that Platform One forbids the use of weapons, teleportation devices, and religion. Planet Death is scheduled for fifteen thirty nine. Followed by drinks in the Manchester suite._ The Doctor and Roseluck walked down a corridor, Roseluck was just following 'cos she had no idea where to go.

"So, when it says guests, does that mean ponies?" she asked.

"Depends on what you mean by 'ponies'," the Doctor replied.

"I mean ponies, what do you mean?"

"Aliens."

"What are they all doing on board this spaceship? What's it all for?"

"It's not really a spaceship, more like an observation deck. The great and good are gathering to watch the planet burn." He stopped and pulled out the sonic screwdriver. The Doctor began scanning a panel on the wall.

"Why are they doing that?" Roseluck asked.

"Fun." A door opened in the wall next to them, it revealed a large room with an even larger window on it. There were display cases filled with all sorts of doodads and strange items. Large black and velvety colored curtains were hung on the walls for decoration.

"Mind you, when I say the great and the good, I mean the rich," The Doctor explained as they walked in the room.

"But, hold on. They did this in PNS. (Pony News Station) The sun expanding, it takes hundreds of years!" Roseluck said.

"Millions," The Doctor added, "But the planet's now part of the National Trust. They've been keeping it preserved. See down there?" He pointed at what looked like chunks of metal floating around Gaia, "Gravity satellites holding back the sun."

"The planet looks the same as ever," Roseluck said, staring at her once-home, "I thought the land moved and stuff."

"They did, but the Trust shifted them back," the Doctor explained, "But now the money's run out, and nature takes over."

"How long's it got?"

"About half an hour, then one roasted planet coming up."

"Is that why we're here?" asked Roseluck, "I mean, is that what you do? Jump in at the last minute and save Gaia?"

"I'm not saving it, times up."

"But what about the ponies?"

"It's empty, they're all gone. No ponies left."

"Just me then?"

"Hey! Who the hell are you?" The Doctor and Roseluck turned around; another pony had entered the room. He was blue, like, royal blue, with weird greyish spots around the edge of his face; he had gold eyes with slits for pupils. This pony was wearing a very nice gold colored suit-robe and a strange helmet.

"Oh that's really nice, thanks," the Doctor said sarcastically.

"But how did you get in?" the blue pony demanded, "This is a maximum hospitality zone. The guests have disembarked. They're on their way any second now!"

"That's me, I'm a guest. Look, I've got an invitation," The Doctor reached into his jacket and pulled out a small wallet, he flipped it open and showed it to the, uh, alien.

"Look. There you see? Its fine, The Doctor plus one. I'm the Doctor and this is Roseluck, she's my plus one. Is that alright?"

"Well, obviously. Apologies et cetera. If you're on board, we better start. Enjoy." The blue pony rushed off.

"Okay, what was that and who was that?" asked Roseluck pointing at the "invitation".

"The paper is slightly psychic. It shows them whatever I want them to see. Saves a lot of time," The Doctor said stashing it back in his pocket.

"He's blue!"

"and the Steward."

"Okay… Weird."

"_Attention,_" the Steward's voice rang out loud and clear over some sort of intercom, "_We have in attendance the Doctor and Roseluck. Thank you, all staff to their positions._" Suddenly, a huge crowd of small blue ponies in little black helmets and suits started rushing about.

"Hurry now," the Steward said (not through the mic) "Thank you, quick as we can. Come along, come along." The Steward stepped up onto a pedestal near to the door where Roseluck and the Doctor had entered. A spotlight turned on somewhere above, "_And now, might I introduce our honored guests? Representing the Forest of Cheam, we have trees, namely Jabe, Lute, and Coffa._" The door opened to reveal three ponies that looked like they were made of wood.

One was obviously a mare and the two behind here were stallions. The mare, Jabe perhaps, was wearing a long red, orange, and yellow dress that matched the colorful flowers growing on her head where one's mane would be. The stallions, probably Lute and Coffa, wore what looked like black armor.

"_There will be and exchange of gifts representing peace. If you could keep the room circulating please, thank you," _the Steward said_, "Next, from solicitors Jolco and Jolco, we have the Moxx of Balhoon._" This was a small fat alien with a large forehead and belly sitting on a transport pad.

"_And next, from Financial Family Seven, we have the Adherents of the Repeated Meme._" A group of tall black robe creatures.

"_The inventors of the Hypo-slip Travel Systems, the brothers Hop Pyleen_. Thank you." Two odd lizard creatures wearing the furs of strange animals. As the Steward called out each name, another group of odd aliens came into the room. They ranged from bipeds in white cloaks to bird creatures. Roseluck tried to keep herself from staring, because it's rude of course, but she couldn't help it when the aliens started coming up to chat.

The trees were first.

"The gift of peace," the one Roseluck had presumed to be Jabe said, "I bring you a cutting of my grandfather." She held out a small potted plant, it looked like a twig.

"Thank you," the Doctor said taking it and handing it to Roseluck, "Yes, uh, gifts...Uh, in return, I give you air from my lungs." He blew gently on Jabe's face.

"How, intimate," Jabe said slightly puzzled.

"There's more where that came from."

"I bet there is."

"_From the Silver devastation, the sponsor of the main event, please welcome the Face of Boe._" Roseluck glanced over and saw a large… fish bowl like tank being wheeled in. A giant head rested inside, it had messy hair and squinty eyes and was definitely not a pony.

"Ah! The Moxx of Balhoon!"

"My felicitations on this historical happenstance," the little blue creature said cheerfully, "I give you the gift of bodily salivas." He spit at them, and managed to hit Roseluck dead on in the eye.

"Thank you very much," the Doctor said. Roseluck wiped the slime out of her eye just in time to see the Meme creatures glide forward.

"The Adherents of the Repeated Meme. I bring you, air from my lungs." The Doctor took a deep breath and blew on the Adherents, he successfully winded himself. The lead Adherent held out what looked like a metal ball, held in a metal hoof.

"A gift of peace in all good faith," they said in unison. The Doctor took the ball and handed it to Roseluck.

"_And last but not least,_" the Steward said, "_Our very special guest. Mares and gentle-colts, and trees and multi-forms, consider the planet below. In memory of this dying world, we call forth the last pony. The Lady Cassandra Dream Darling Dot Delta Seventeen_." The doors opened to reveal, an orange sheet with a face on it. No doubt it had once been a pony, a unicorn by the mark on where the forehead should've been, and another no doubt that it had been stripped of anything pony like. The sheet of skin was mounted on a metal rectangle, two stallions dressed entirely in white hazmat suits walked behind it carrying large spray nozzles.

"Oh now, don't stare," the sheet Cassandra said, "I know, I know, it's shocking isn't it? I've had my chin completely removed and look at the difference. Look how thin I am, thin and dainty. I don't look a day over two thousand! Moisturize me, moisturize me!" Roseluck stared in shock, that skin flap was a pony? She truly was thin as paper, and incredible easy to dry out. (considering she had two attendants just to keep her from doing just that!)

"Truly I am the last pony," Cassandra continued, "My father was from the Crystal Empire and my mother Canterlot. They were born on Gaia and were the last to be buried in its soil. I have come to honor them and say goodbye. Oh, no tears, no tears. But behold! I bring gifts, from Gaia itself!" One of the small attendants came into the room carrying a yellow egg with little green speckles.

"This is the last Cockatrice egg. Legend says it had the head of a bull and blew fire from its beak! Or was that my third husband… Oh no, don't laugh, I'll get laughter lines later. And here, another rarity." Roseluck watched as they wheeled in a jukebox, at least, Roseluck presumed it was a jukebox. It certainly looked like ones Lilly had described.

"According to the archives, this was called an IPod. It stores music from Pony-kind's greatest composers! Play on!" One of the little ponies pressed a button on the front. A CD was selected and a remixed version of Winter-Wrap-Up began to play.

"_Refreshments will now be served, Gaia destruction in thirty minutes,"_ said the Steward, dismounting the pedestal. Roseluck finally snapped, she couldn't handle all these aliens. She ran out of the room, still carrying the Adherents ball and Jabe's tree. The Doctor saw her leave and tried to follow. Jabe caught him on the way out and snapped a picture.

"Thank you!" she called as the stallion ran after his friend.

Elsewhere in the room, the Adherents of the Repeated Meme approached the Steward. The lead Adherent held out a metal sphere for the Steward.

"A gift of peace in all good faith," the Adherents droned.

"No, you're very kind, but I'm just the Steward," said the Steward.

"A gift of peace in all good faith," they repeated.

"Well, yes uh, thank you. Of course." He took the sphere and walked off.

Even elsewhere, Jabe was trying to get her "camera" to work.

"Identify species," she commanded again, shaking the small object, "Please identify species." The machine twittered angrily, "Identify his race! Where's he from?" Then the answer popped up, causing Jabe to gasp in alarm, "That's impossible!" and she hurried off. Behind where she'd been standing, on one of the display cases, where somepony had set one of the Adherent's orbs, the orb opened. A small four legged spider hopped out and scurried away.

No pony was the wiser.

* * *

Roseluck wandered around, she was glad to be away from all the strange creatures. Moxx of Balhoon, Mr. and Mrs. Pakoo, could this get any weirder? Probably not. She paused and glanced out the window, the sun was large and red, and the gravity satellites were spinning around Gaia rapidly to keep it safe for another twenty nine minutes.

Suddenly, Roseluck heard hoofsteps and whirled around ready to attack. Instead, she found herself face-to-face with an alien like the Steward. This one was a mare, and she was wearing a baseball cap and pale green jumpsuit.

"Sorry," Roseluck stammered, "Am I allowed to be in here?" The mare looked at her hooves silent, Roseluck just looked at her.

"You have to give us permission to talk," the mare said softly.

"Oh, uh, you have permission?"

"Thank you," the mare said looking up and smiling, "and, no, you're not in the way. Guests are allowed anywhere."

"Okay." The mare walked over to the wall and removed the metal plate. Roseluck leaned against the wall and watched.

"What's your name?" Roseluck asked, curious.

"Raffalo," she replied.

"Raffalo?"

"Yes miss. I won't be long," Raffalo explained looking into the shaft, "I've just got to carry out some maintenance. There's a tiny glitch in the Face of Boe's suite. There must be something blocking the system, he's not getting any hot water."

"So… you're a plumber?" Roseluck asked.

"That's right miss."

"They still have plumbers?"

"I hope so; else I'm out of the job." Roseluck chuckled, "So, Raffalo, where are you from?"

"Crespallion."

"That's a planet, is it?"

"No. Crespallion's part of the Jaggit Brocade, affiliated to the Scarlet Junction, Convex fifty six. And where are you from, miss? If you don't mind me asking."

"No, not at all. Well, I don't really know. A long way away. I just sort of hitched a lift with this stallion. I didn't even think about it," Then she realized a few things, "I don't even know who he is. He's a complete stranger! Sorry, don't let me keep you, good luck Raffalo!" And Roseluck ran off.

"Now then," Raffalo pressed a button on her jumper, "Control, I'm at junction nineteen and I think the problem's coming from here. I'll go inside and take a look." She released the button and crawled into the maintenance shaft. _Tap, t-tap, t-tap, t-tapa, _Raffalo looked up.

"What's that? Is something in there?" she called, her voice echoing inside the conduit. A tiny metal spider rounded the corner, it looked at her with its little red eye.

"Oh! Who are you then?" The spider turned and scuttled away, "Hold on! If you're an upgrade I just need to register you, that's all. Oh, come back!" It did come back, with another one.

"Ah there you are, oh, you got yourself a little mate. I think I'd better report this to control. Wait, how many of you are there? What are you? Oh, no! No no, agh!" and she was dragged in.

* * *

In the Steward's office, the Steward was having a small argument with his computer.

_Beep, beep, whiiirr, beep._ The computer said.

"What's that?" _Beep, ding-beep._ "Well, how should I know?" He turned on his microphone to make an announcement: "_Would the owner of the blue box in private gallery fifteen please report to the Steward's office immediately. Guests are reminded that use of teleportation devices is strictly forbidden under Peace Treaty 5.4/cup/16. Thank you._"

Behind him, on the other desk, his gift from the Adherents opened and another spider crawled out.

* * *

Roseluck was back in the observation room, or, one of the observation rooms. There were so many it was hard to tell. She was rolling the silver orb between her hooves while staring out into space.

_Planet destruction in twenty five minutes._ The computer droned.

"Oh, thanks," Roseluck mumbled rolling the ball away. She instead picked up the little plant, "Hello, I'm Roseluck, roses are sort of a plant. We might be related." She put the twig down, "And now I'm talking to a sprout." Behind her, the little ball opened and a spider crawled out. It looked at Roseluck, its little red eye opening and closing, as if debating whether or not to attack. It decided not to and scurried off.

* * *

"Oi! Careful now! Park it properly," The Doctor instructed as a group of the little assistants wheeled the Tardis into a proper parking spot, "Hey! No scratches!" One of them stuck something to the Tardis doors, it read "Have a nice day!"

On the ceiling, a small group of spiders scuttled along.

* * *

"Roseluck? You in there?" Roseluck looked away from her scenic view towards the doors. The opened to reveal her designated driver.

"Aye, so, what d'you think then?" asked the Doctor sitting on the other steps.

"Great, yeah, fine… Once you get past the slightly psychic paper," Roseluck replied smiling, "They're just so… alien."

"What do you mean?"

"The aliens are so alien. You look at 'em, and they're alien."

"Good thing I didn't take you to the Deep South."

"Where are you from?" Roseluck asked.

"All over the place," the Doctor responded shrugging.

"They all speak Equestrian."

"No you just hear Equestrian. It's a gift from the Tardis," he explained, "The telepathic field, gets inside your brain and translates."

"It's inside my brain?"

"Well, in a good way."

"Your machine gets inside my head. It gets inside my head and changes my mind, and you didn't even ask?" Roseluck accused, shocked.

"Didn't think about it like that."

"No, you were too busy thinking up quips for the Deep South!" Roseluck cried exasperated, "Who are you Doctor? What are you called? What sort of alien are you?"

"I'm just the Doctor."

"From what planet?"

"Well, it's not as if you'll know where it is!"

"Where are you from?"

"What does it matter?"

"Tell me who you are!"

"This is who I am, right here, right now, all right? All that counts is here and now, and this is me!" the Doctor finished, quite angrily. He got up and stormed over to the window.

"Yeah, and I'm here too because you brought me here so just tell me," Roseluck said. No reply.

_Planet destruction in twenty minutes. Planet destruction in twenty minutes. _The computer said. Roseluck got up and trotted over to the Doctor, it didn't take a super genius to realize she'd touched a sensitive topic.

"All right," she admitted, "As my mate Crimson says; don't argue with the designated driver. Can't exactly hail a taxi in space."

"Tell you what, I know a way that you might be able to do that if necessary," the Doctor said reaching into one of his jacket pockets. He pulled out a small device; it had a tiny screen and sixteen little buttons. Ten had numbers and two had # and * on them and the other four were part of the on-off system and control pad, it looked like a phone.

"What's that?" Roseluck asked.

"This Roseluck, is called a mobile phone. It's a telephone that you can take with you," The Doctor explained, "And because of a bit of jiggery pokery, it can call from anywhere or anywhen."

"Is that a technical term, jiggery pokery?" asked Roseluck.

"Yeah, I came first in Jiggery Pokery. What about you?"

"Nah, I failed hullabaloo." She picked up the phone, "So, do you just type in the number and press this little green button?"

"Yeah, give it a go." Roseluck typed in her home number and put the little device to her ear, it rang.

"_Hello_?" it was Lilly-luck!

"Mum?"

"_Roseluck! Hey sweetheart, is everything alright?_"

"Yeah…" Roseluck snickered.

"_What's so funny?"_ Lilly asked.

"Nothing, you alright though?"

"_Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"_

"What day is it?"

"_Wednesday, all day."_

"Okay, well, I was calling to let you know that… I might be late home."

"_Is there something wrong?"_

"No, I'm fine. Top of the world."

_"Okay Roseluck, talk to you later,_ bye!"Roseluck hung up.

"Think that's amazing? You should see the bill," the Doctor joked.

"That was five billion years ago," Roseluck said staring outside, "So, she's dead now. Five billion years later, my mum's dead."

"Bundle of laughs you are." The space station suddenly shook, causing Roseluck to drop the phone.

"That's not supposed to happen," the Doctor said, a smile tugging at his lips.

* * *

"Well what was it? I'm just getting green lights down at this end," The Steward complained, he sighed and turned on the broadcast mic.

"_Honored guests may be reassured that gravity pockets may cause slight disturbance. Thank you."_ The he resumed his heated debate with Control.

"The Whole place shook! I felt it. I've hosted many events on platforms One, Three, Six, and Fifteen and never felt the slightest tremor. I warn you, if this lot decides to sue. *sigh*, I'm going to scan the infrastructure." He pressed a few keys on the computer and activated the scan, and then he heard a scuttling sound.

"What's that? Control, I don't want to alarm you, but I'm picking up odd readings. I have no idea what they are! Well, they're small, and the scan says they're metal. No I don't know what they look like!" Something red flashed in the Steward's eye, he turned and saw a small four legged spider on the desk.

"Although, I imagine they look like that." The Steward leaned in close to get a good look at the small robot.

"You're not on the guest list, how did you get on board?" The spider did not reply, it simply scurried over to the keyboard and pressed one of the buttons.

"No!" the Steward cried.

_Sun filter deactivated._

"No!"

_Sun filter descending._ The special covering protecting the windows began to descend, filling the room with very bright white light.

"No! Sun filter up! No no no!" the Steward commanded pressing keys rapidly trying to save himself.

_External temperature four thousand degrees._

"Control respond! Sun filter up! AGH!" The spider left just in time, the Steward was not so lucky.

* * *

"That wasn't a gravity pocket," the Doctor stated as he and Roseluck rushed back into the main observation room, "I know gravity pockets and they don't feel like that. What do you think Jabe?" The tree-pony turned around and smiled at the Doctor.

"I've listened to the engines, they've pitched about thirty Hertz, that dodgy or what?"

"It's the sound of metal," Jabe replied, "It doesn't make any sense to me."

"You know where the engine room is?" he asked.

"I don't know, but the maintenance duct is just behind our guest suite, I could show you and your wife."

"She's not my wife," the Doctor replied quickly.

"Partner?"

"No."

"Concubine?"

"Nope."

"Prostitute?"

"Whatever I am," Roseluck interrupted, "It must be invisible. Do you mind? Tell you both what, you two go and find the engine room, I'm going to catch up with family. Just a quick word with Vinyl Scratch." And she walked off towards Cassandra.

"Don't start a fight," the Doctor called. He turned to Jabe, "Shall we?"

"And I want you home by midnight!" Roseluck called as the Doctor and tree walked out.

_Gaia's destruction in fifteen minutes, Gaia's destruction in fifteen minutes._

* * *

Down in the maintenance duct, spiders scuttled out of sight as a pair of ponies slowly made their way through the shaft. Wires crossed this way and that, plugged into the walls and ceiling, little lights flashed here and there.

"Who's in charge of Platform One?" the Doctor asked Jabe, "Is there a captain or what?"

"There's just the Steward and the staff. All the rest is controlled by the metal mind," Jabe explained.

"You mean the computer? But who controls that?"

"The Corporation. They move Platform One around to all sorts of events."

"But there's nopony from the corporation on board."

"They're not needed, this facility is purely automatic. It's the height of the Alpha class. Nothing can go wrong."

"And you just jinxed it. But, basically, you're saying that if we get in trouble, no pony's coming to help."

"I'm afraid not."

"Fantastic," the Doctor muttered sarcastically.

"I don't understand, in what way is that fantastic?" asked Jabe.

* * *

Back in the observation gallery, Cassandra was going on and on and on about her childhood on Gaia.

"…Oh I had such fun." She sighed looking out the window.

"What happened to everypony else? The ponies, where'd they go?" asked Roseluck eager for a change in conversation.

"They say that ponies have traveled to every star in the sky," Cassandra replied.

"So, you're not the last pony."

"I am the last pure pony. The others… mingled," she grimaced, as if the word carried a disease, "Oh they call themselves New Ponies and Proto-Ponies and Digi-Ponies, even pony-ish, but do you know what I call them? Mongrels."

"Right, and you stayed behind then," Roseluck said. Cassandra was really a prat, she hated anything that didn't fit her views and obviously wanted to get rid of them.

"I kept myself pure," Cassandra stated proudly.

"So, how many operations have you had?" Roseluck asked, curious.

"Seven hundred and eight, next week I'm having my blood bleached making it seven hundred and nine. Is that why you wanted a word? You could be flatter Roseluck, you've got a bit of a, face, poking out."

"I'd rather die," Roseluck stated firmly, no way was she becoming a 2D pony.

"Honestly, it doesn't hurt," Cassandra prompted.

"No, I mean it. I would rather die than live like you, a catty trampoline."

"Oh well, what do you know?" Cassandra sneered.

"I was born on that planet, and so was my mum, and so was my dad, and that makes me officially the last pony in the room, 'cos you're not a pony. You've had it all nipped and tucked and flattened until there's nothing left. Anything pony-like got chucked in the bin. You're just skin Cassandra, skin and lipstick. Nice talking." Roseluck turned and stormed out. Unaware of herself being watched.

* * *

Back in the maintenance shaft…

"So tell me Jabe, what's a tree like you doing on Platform One?" the Doctor asked.

"Respect for Gaia," Jabe replied.

"Oh come on, everypony on this platform is worth zillions."

"Well, perhaps it's a case of being seen at the right occasions."

"In case your share prices drop? I know you lot, you've got massive forests, roots everywhere, and there's always money in land."

"All the same, we respect Gaia like family. So many species evolved from that planet, Pony-kind is only one, and I'm another. My ancestors were transplanted from the planet below, and I'm a direct descendant of the tropical rainforests." The Doctor stopped walking, stopping Jabe as well. There was a small screen on the wall, hidden almost completely by wires. The Doctor shoved a few aside and pulled out his sonic screwdriver. Jabe watched as he started scanning the small menu screen, trying to get the (also hidden by wires) door to open.

"And what about you Doctor? Where are you from?" Jabe asked, "Perhaps you could tell a story or two." The Doctor kept focusing on scanning the panel, not saying a word.

"But, perhaps a man only enjoys trouble when there's nothing left," said Jabe, "I scanned you earlier. The machine had trouble identifying you, it refused to admit that you existed. And even when it did name you, I couldn't believe it. But it was right; I know where you are from Doctor. And, forgive me for intruding, but it's remarkable you even exist. I just wanted to say how… sorry I am." Jabe placed her hoof on the Doctor's shoulder; he just stared at the wall. The Doctor looked at Jabe, she nodded.

With one last buzz from the sonic the door opened up, the Doctor and Jabe trotted into the engine room. They were standing on a platform, a bridge stretched out from it across a large chasm made of metal. Three giant fan blades slowly turned, occasionally blocking the path making it look like some kind of video game schematic. The air in there was cool, cooler than it should've been.

"Is it just me, or is it a bit nippy?" asked the Doctor.

* * *

Upstairs, in one of the many corridors, Roseluck was trying to find the Tardis. Maybe she can get some peace and quiet with it. She turned a corner and found herself face to cloak with the Adherents of the Repeated Meme. The lead Adherent, the only one who ever seemed to do anything, raised its hoof and smacked Roseluck. She was dazed for a moment, only long enough for somepony or something to hit her over the head again, this time hard enough to knock her out.

* * *

"Fair do's though, that's a great bit of air conditioning," the Doctor said, complimenting the giant fans, "Sort of nice and old fashioned. Bet they call it retro." Jabe simply stared at the massive metal blades; the Doctor turned his attention on another panel on the other wall. He scanned it, the screws fell out and the panel popped off. A metal spider scuttled out and began to climb up the wall.

"What the hell's that?"

"Is it part of the retro?" asked Jabe, she stared at the metal creature as it attempted to escape up the wall.

"I don't think so, hold on." The Doctor pointed his sonic screwdriver at it and pressed the button. The spider stopped moving and looked around confusedly. Jabe's hoof shot out, and out of her sleeve came a vine that flew up and wrapped around the tiny spider, pulling it down and causing it to stop spasmatically twitching.

"Hey, nice liana," the Doctor complemented picking up the tiny robot.

"Thank you. We're not supposed to show them in public," Jabe admitted.

"Don't worry, I won't tell anypony. Now then, who's been bringing pets on board?" the Doctor mused looking the spider over.

"What does it do?" asked Jabe.

"Sabotage."

_Gaia destruction in ten minutes._ The computer announced.

"And the temperature's about to rocket, come on!" the Doctor put the spider in his pocket and galloped off, Jabe ran after him.

_Gaia destruction in ten minutes_.

* * *

In the observation deck, the show was about to begin.

"The planet's end!" Cassandra announced, "Come, gather, bid farewell to the cradle of civilization. Let us mourn her with a traditional ballad." A disk was selected, it was Pony Rock Anthem.

* * *

The corridor was filled with smoke, bright light shined around the door's edges. It was the Steward's office, the little assistant ponies were trying to get the door open and see what was left. But nothing but ash was inside. The Doctor and Jabe ran up.

"Hold on, get back!" the Doctor ordered pushing his way over to the control panel. He pulled out the sonic and started scanning the panel.

_Sun filter rising, sun filter rising, _the computer droned. The escaping glare began to dim.

"Is the Steward in there?" asked Jabe.

"You can smell him," the Doctor said, "Hold on, there's another sun filter programmed to descend." He put the sonic between his teeth and took off running again.

* * *

_Sun filter descending, sun filter descending._ Roseluck opened her eye; she was back in gallery fifteen. And the window was letting in too much light. Roseluck leapt to her hooves and ran to the door, she pounded on the metal.

"Let me out! Let me out!" she cried.

Outside, the Doctor came skidding around a corner, he ran to the door of gallery fifteen.

"Anypony in there?" he called.

"Let me out!" Roseluck cried.

"Oh, well, it would be you." The Doctor muttered beginning to scan gallery fifteen's control panel.

"Open the door!" Roseluck demanded.

"Hold on, just give me two ticks." The super-hot beams had just reached the top of the door; Roseluck began to panic even more.

_Sun filter rising, sun filter rising,_ the computer voice repeated. The window began to close, Roseluck calmed down.

_Sun filter descending, sun filter descending._

"Fantastic, just what we need," the Doctor groaned scanning faster.

"Stop mucking about!" Roseluck screamed

"I'm not mucking about. It's fighting back!" the Doctor said.

"Open the door!" Roseluck demanded.

"I know!" Roseluck glanced up, she had to move or no more pony. She dashed down the steps away from the door and frying glare.

"The lock's melted!"

_Sun filter descending, sun filter descending, sun filter de- rising, sun filter rising._ Roseluck sighed and ran back to the door.

"The whole thing's jammed. I can't open the doors, stay there!" the Doctor ordered, "Don't move!"

"Where am I going to go? Ponyville?"

_Planet death in five minutes._

* * *

In the observation deck, Jabe was explaining the situation.

"The metal machine confirms it, the spider devices have infiltrated the whole of Platform One," she stated.

"How's that possible?" Cassandra demanded, "Our private rooms are protected by a code wall. Moisturize me, moisturize me."

"Summon the steward!" the Moxx of Balhoon suggested.

"I'm afraid, the Steward is dead," Jabe said sadly.

"Who killed him?" the Moxx wanted to know.

"This whole event was sponsored by the Face of Boe!" Cassandra cried, "He invited us. Talk to the face! Talk to the face!" Then the Doctor walked in, he had the spider he and Jabe had captured in the engine room

"There's an easy way of finding out," he explained, "somepony brought their little pet on board. Let's send him back to master." He set the spider down; its little red eye light glowed as it reactivated. The spider looked around and scurried over to Cassandra. It scanned her, and then ran over to the Adherents of the Repeated Meme.

"The Adherents of the Repeated Meme!" Cassandra accused, "J'accuse!"

"That's all very well, and really kind of obvious, but if you stop and think about it," The Doctor walked over to the Adherents, "A repeated meme is just an idea." The lead Adherent tried to knock him out but the Doctor simply pulled the metal hoof off.

"And that's all they are, ideas." He pulled out one of the wires and the Adherents collapsed into a pile of black fabric.

"Remote controlled droids. Nice cover for the real trouble maker," he tossed the Adherent's hand onto the pile of costumes, "Go on Jimbo. Go home." The Doctor nudged the spider-bot with his hoof. The spider looked at him then quickly scampered over to Cassandra.

"I bet you were the school geek who never got kissed," Cassandra hissed, "At arms!" The hospital dressed assistants raised their sprayed nozzles and threatened to shoot.

"What're you going to do? Moisturize me?" asked the Doctor sarcastically.

"Yes, with acid," Cassandra jeered, "Oh you're much too late anyway. My spiders have complete control of the mainframe. Oh you all carried them as gifts; tax free, past every code wall. I'm not just a pretty face."

"Could've fooled me," Jabe muttered to herself.

"Sabotaging a ship while you're still inside? How stupid's that?" said the Doctor.

"I'd hoped to manufacture a hostage situation with myself as one of the victims," Cassandra explained, "The compensation would have been enormous."

"Five billion years and it still comes down to money."

"Do think that it's cheap, looking like this? Flatness costs a fortune. I am the last pony Doctor. Me. Not that freaky little mare of yours."

"Arrest her, the infidel!" the Moxx of Balhoon cried.

"Oh shut it pixie," Cassandra snapped, "I've still got my final option."

_Gaia destruction in three minutes._

"And here it comes. You're just as useful dead, all of you. I have shares in your rival companies and they'll triple in price as soon as you're dead. My spiders are primed and ready to destroy the safety systems." Cassandra smiled, "How did that old song go? Burn baby, burn."

"Then you'll burn with us!" Jabe cried.

"Oh I'm so sorry," Cassandra said with mock sympathy, "I know use of teleportation is strictly forbidden, but I'm such a naughty mare. Spiders activate!" There was a series of explosions, sounding like they came from all over Platform One.

"Force fields gone with a planet about to explode," Cassandra said, "At least it'll be quick, just like my fifth husband. Oh, shame on me."

_Safety systems failing_.

"Bye bye darlings. Bye bye my darlings," Cassandra cried as she and her attendants beamed out.

_Heat levels rising._

"Reset the computer!" sompony cried.

"Only the Steward would know how," Jabe said urgently.

"No, we can do it by hoof, there must be a system restore switch," the Doctor explained, "Jabe, come on. The rest of you, just chill."

* * *

_Heat levels critical,_ the computer monotone as the Doctor and Jabe rushed back into the engine room. They looked around for the switch, and the Doctor spotted it, just on the other side of a blade-blocked bridge.

"Oh and guess where the switch is," he said.

_Heat levels rising, heat levels rising, _the computer repeated. The Doctor ran over and pulled the breaker switch, it slowed the fans just enough for a pony to leap through. He let go of the switch and ran for the bridge, but the fans had already sped up. Jabe ran over and held the switch down. The Doctor looked her straight in the eye, "You can't, all the heat is going to vent through this place."

_External temperatures five thousand degrees._

"I know," Jabe replied holding the switch down.

"Jabe, you're made of wood!" the Doctor protested.

"Then stop wasting time Time-Pony," Jabe replied. The Doctor sighed and turned his attention to the new task, leaping through three giant fans without getting cut in half. He waited, the first blade seemed the slowest, so it should've been the easiest, but timing was everything. The Doctor jumped, and made it through in one piece.

* * *

Up in gallery fifteen where Roseluck was trapped, the window began to crack. And each place where a crack formed, a bright laser like beam of light shot through burning whatever it touched. Roseluck had to leap and dodge to avoid getting fried.

In the observation room, the window was cracking there too.

"We're going to die!" somepony cried. Multiple glares blasted into the room at once, one frying the Moxx of Balhoon.

_Heat levels critical, heat levels critical, _chimed the computer.

* * *

The Doctor jumped through the second fan, it narrowly missed him. He glanced back through the fans back at Jabe. He turned back around and prepared for the final jump. But back on the main platform, Jabe caught fire. She let go of the breaker switch and tried to put herself out. The fans sped back up, making it practically impossible to jump through.

The Doctor looked back, and only saw a bright light, fire. The computer began to count down.

_Ten,_ he had to jump, at least try to make it to the switch.

_Nine, _the Doctor took a deep breath and readied to jump.

_Eight, _he leapt; the fan blade swished his tail as he landed on the opposite side. _Seven, six,_ he ran for the reset switch and pulled hard. _Five, four, _"Raise shields!"

_Three, two, one,_ below Platform One, Gaia burst into flame and melted into chunks that flew out into space. But just before they reached Platform One, a blue shield covered the station protecting it from harm. They were safe.

The fans slowed enough that the Doctor could run back through to the main platform. He stopped short, and looked sadly at what remained of Jabe. He sighed, and left the engine room.

* * *

Roseluck peaked open her eye, the cracks weren't getting any bigger and the station wasn't destroyed. _Exoglass repair, exoglass repair, _and the cracks began to seal themselves; blocking out the killer beams of sunlight that would've burned anything to touch them. Roseluck looked out the newly repaired window and saw pieces of Gaia floating away in space.

The charred metal doors slowly opened, Roseluck took her opportunity and dashed out of there. She had to see if the alien-ponies in the observation room were okay. (Injured or alive.) She ran as fast as her hooves could carry her to the main room. The door slid open and Roseluck rushed in.

She gasped, the number of aliens in there had visible been cut, at least one quarter were dead or piles of ashes. Roseluck stepped aside as the Doctor came in, he walked over to Jabe's tree bodyguards. He said something to them, and they became very upset. He apologized for whatever had happened and walked over to Roseluck.

"You all right?" she asked, seeing the sulky look on his face.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied stiffly, "I'm full of ideas, bristling with them. Idea number one, teleportation through five hundred degrees has to have some kind of feed. Idea number two, this feed must be nearby." He walked over to the "cockatrice" egg and smashed it open revealing a small silver device.

"Idea number three, if you're as clever as I am then a teleportation feed can be reversed." The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and used it on the device; a faint outline of Cassandra appeared and kept getting darker. He was pulling her back.

"Oh you should've seen their alien faces," she was saying. Then she fully materialized, "Oh…"

"The last pony," the Doctor said angrily.

"So, you passed my little test. Bravo, this makes you eligible to join the uh, um, the Pony Club," Cassandra lied.

"Ponies have died Cassandra! You murdered them!"

"It depends on your definition of ponies," Cassandra said smiling, "That's enough to keep your lawyers dizzy for centuries. Take me to court then Doctor, and watch me smile, and cry, and flutter-"

"And creak?" it was true; as Cassandra was talking she'd been making creaking sounds. Like what are made when you open a door really slowly.

"And what?" asked a confused skin flap.

"Creak, your creaking Cassandra," the Doctor stated simply.

"What? AH! I'm drying out! Oh sweet Celestia. Moisturize me, moisturize me! Where are my surgeons? My Lovely boys! It's too hot!" Cassandra cried, her "face" beginning to look like old sunburned skin.

"You raised the temperature," the Doctor reminded her.

"Have pity! Moisturize me! Oh oh Doctor. I'm sorry, I'll do anything!" Cassandra begged.

"Help her," Roseluck said, the pleas beginning to actually get to her.

"Everything has its time and everything dies," the Doctor said coldly.

"I'm too young!" Cassandra cried as she burst apart in a messy rain of flying flesh.

* * *

The shuttles all left, with their living passengers on board heading home. Roseluck wasn't leaving yet though, she stared out the window at where Gaia used to sit, suspended by its own gravity. The Doctor sat next to her looking outside as well.

"The end of Gaia," Roseluck said sadly, "It's gone. We were too busy saving ourselves. No pony saw it go. All those years, all that history, and no pony was even looking. It's just, just…" She sighed.

"Come on Roseluck, I have something I want to show you," The Doctor said getting up. He held out his hoof to help her up, she took it, and they left Platform One.

* * *

The crowd shifted, it didn't stay the same. Ponies rushed about, they chatted with each other, they laughed, they argued, but they were all alive.

"You think it'll last forever," the Doctor told Roseluck, as they stood in the middle of it all, "Ponies and shops and concrete, but it won't. One day, it's all gone. Even the sky." Roseluck looked up, a few clouds were scattered across the brilliant blue, it being gone was too hard to imagine.

"My planet's gone. It's dead, it burned like the Earth," The Doctor said solemnly, "It's just rocks and dust before it's time."

"What happened?" asked Roseluck.

"There was a war, and we lost."

"A war with who? What about your people?"

"I'm a Time Pony. I'm the last of the Time Ponies. They're all gone. I'm the only survivor. I'm left travelling 'cos there's nothing left."

"There's me."

"You've seen how dangerous it is, do you want to go home?" he asked.

"I don't know. I want…" she sniffed the air, "Oh, can you smell chips?"

"Yeah, I can."

"I want chips," Roseluck said, starting to smile.

"Me too," the Doctor replied, smiling as well.

"Right then, before you get me back in that box, chips it is, and you can pay," Roseluck instructed while trying not to laugh.

"No money," the Doctor said turning out his pockets.

"What kind of a date are you? Come on then, chips are on me. We've only got five billion years till the shops close."

_To be continued in The Unquiet Dead!_

**Me: and another one is completed. Anything pony-related such as Ponyville, Roseluck, and Celestia belong to Hasbro. All things Doctor Who related like the Tardis, Cassandra, and Platform One belong to BBC. And a note to readers: THIS WAS HARD TO WRITE!**

**Anyway, I need your guy's help. I can't decide which name to use for Charles Dickens pony character in the next episode. The poll is on my profile and I need need need you to answer it with your favorite choice. Please please please PLEASE answer the poll! (poll closing 5/7/13)**


	3. Episode 3, The Unquiet Dead

Doctor Whooves

_The Unquiet Dead_

**I'm sure many of you are thinking: "Since when does MLP have a funeral home?" or things similar to that. But here's my reply: Aren't most ponies actually mortal?**

**And again, line breaks=drastic changes in character focus/scenery change.**

In 760, on the outskirts of Hoofdon, in an area known as Cardhoof, there was a funeral home. It was run by Mr. Sneed and his assistant Chrysanthemum. Strange things used to happen in that house before Sneed and Co. came, ghost sightings and strange sounds. But Sneed bought the building and set up his funeral business.

Sneed was a simple unicorn, he did not believe in what he had not seen before. Yes, he had seen the ghosts in his house, but simply passed them off as illusions and magical pranksters. Then the occurrences began getting much stranger.

One night, in 769, he was dealing with the regular routine with a customer. The customer was Redpath, a Pegasus merchant from in town. Redpath's grandmother had died very recently, and he wanted to say goodbye in the nicest way possible. They were in the Family Room, a specially arranged room in the funeral home which affords the family privacy at the time of the funeral service. A casket was open on the altar in front of them, within it lay Grandma Redpath. The only light in the room was offered by gas lamps on the walls, which flickered ominously.

The dead mare was an earth pony, white like the clouds now that death had taken her. She was wearing a very nice black dress, the nicest clothing that she had owned while alive, and a small white bonnet. Redpath, the grandson, was crying quietly for his grandmother. Sneed simply stood beside him, head bowed.

"Sneed and Company offer their sincerest condolences, sir, in this most trying hour," Sneed said. (Visual appearance: Grey coat, white hair, cutie mark: a brown coffin, wearing a nice black suit.)

"Grandmamma had good intentions, Mister Sneed," Redpath said, voice choked with tears, "She was so full of life. I can't believe she's gone." (Redpath's appearance: Red coat, dark maroon mane, also wearing a nice black suit.)

"Not gone Mr. Redpath, merely sleeping," Sneed replied.

"May I have a moment?" asked Redpath.

"Yes, of course, I shall be in the next room should you require anything." Sneed walked out of the room, leaving Redpath with the corpse. Redpath cried silently, unaware of what was happening to his dear grandmamma. Some sort of blue gas floated down from who knows where and went into the corpse of Mrs. Redpath. Her coat turned a light shade of blue then returned to white. She opened her eyes. Redpath looked up from his crying and his grandmother began trying to strangle him. Redpath struggled against the vice grip of the corpse, he was beginning to turn blue.

Mr. Sneed rushed back in, and saw the struggle between life and death. "Oh dear." He ran over and started pulling on Redpath to help him get away from the "zombie", but Redpath had already run out of oxygen. The corpse let go of her dead grandson, and began to climb out of the casket. Sneed leapt back onto his hooves and grabbed the casket lid; he slammed it on the corpse's head and pushed with all his might to shove her back down into the casket.

"Chrysanthemum!" he cried, "Get down here now! We've got another one!" the dead mare gave one particularly vigorous push and Mr. Sneed fell back onto the ground. Mrs. Redpath senior climbed out of the casket and quickly walked out of the room.

Outside, she walked down the street groaning and moaning, blue gas escaping from her mouth.

**Cue theme song! Again!**

In the Tardis, the flight was particularly rocky.

"Hold that one down!" the Doctor instructed, pointing to a big green button halfway around the console.

"I'm holding this one down!" Roseluck yelled back, keeping her left hoof firmly planted on the yellow lever.

"Well hold them both down!" the Doctor yelled trying to hold his own post.

"It's not going to work!" Roseluck yelled back, but she stretched and tried to reach the button anyways.

"Oi! I promised you a time machine and that's what you're getting," the Doctor said, "You've seen the future, let's have a look at the past. 760, how does 760 sound?"

"What happened in 760?" asked Roseluck her hoof slipping from the yellow lever which she quickly re-switched on again.

"I don't know, let's find out," the Doctor said excitedly, "Hold on, here we go!"

* * *

"Chrysanthemum! Where are you girl? Chyrsanthemum!" A young Pegasus mare came into the room. She was young, around seventeen, with a mane of curly brown hair tied up into a bun. Chrysanthemum had a nice yellow-cream coat and was wearing a maid's dress, the dress covered her cutie mark, a small shiny teacup.

"Where have you been?" demanded Sneed, "I've been shouting!"

"I was in the stables, polishing the coach," Chrysanthemum explained.

"Well get back in there and get the harness ready."

"Whatever for sir?"

"The stiffs are getting lively again," Mr. Sneed said gravely, referring to the walking corpses, "Mister Redpath's grandmother, she's up and on her hooves and out on the streets. We've got to find her."

"Mr. Sneed, for shame. How many more times?" Chrysanthemum asked, "not even magic can do this, its evil magic I just know it."

"Don't look at me like it's my fault!" said Sneed, "Now come on, hurry up. She was 86! She can't have gone far."

"What about Mr. Redpath sir, did you deal with him?" asked the Pegasus.

"No, she did."

"That's awful sir. I know it's not my place, and please, forgive me for talking out of turn sir, but this is getting beyond now. Something terrible is happening in this house, and we've got to get help," Chrysanthemum said shyly.

"And we will, as soon as I get that dead old mare locked up safe and sound. Now stop procrastinating girl. Get the hearse ready," Mr. Sneed instructed, "We're going body snatching."

* * *

Roseluck was laughing, so was the Doctor. Both of them were lying on their backs, staring up at the ceiling of the Tardis, in front of the controls. It had been a rough landing.

"Blimey!" Roseluck said getting to her hooves and shaking her mane.

"You're telling me, you all right?" asked the Doctor also getting up.

"Yeah, I think so. Nothing broken," Roseluck replied, "Did we make it? Where are we?"

"I did it! Give the stallion a medal, Gaia, Canterlot, December 24th 760."

"That's so weird. It's Hearth's Warming Eve!" Roseluck smiled, "Cool."

"All yours," the Doctor said, leaning against the Tardis console.

"But, it's like, think about it. Hearth's Warming Eve, 760. Just happens once, and it's gone. It'll never happen again. Except for you, you can go back and visit days that are dead and gone a hundred thousand sunsets ago," Roseluck rambled, "No wonder you never stay still."

"It's not a bad life," the Doctor added.

"Better with two, come on!" Roseluck ran for the door.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?" asked the Doctor as Roseluck reached for the handle.

"760."

"Go out there; dressed like that, you'll start a riot Roseluck! There's a wardrobe down there," he pointed to a corridor branching out from the main room, "First left, second right, third on the left, go straight ahead, under the stairs, past the bins, fifth door on your left. Hurry up!"

* * *

Sneed and Company Private Funerals the hearse read. It was a large black coach with velvety purple curtains on the windows, there were no drivers, Mr. Sneed could drive the coach and pull it too. He and Chrysanthemum were walking around the streets of Cardhoof keeping a close eye out for a white mare in a black dress.

"Not a sign," muttered Sneed, "Where is she?"

"She's vanished into the Aether, sir," Chrysanthemum said, "Where can she be?"

"You tell me girl."

"What do you mean?"

"Chrysanthemum you know full well."

"No sir, I can't," Chrysanthemum protested.

"Use the sight."

"It's not right sir!"

"Find the old mare or you're dismissed!" Sneed threatened, "Now, look inside girl, look deep. Where is she?" Chrysanthemum swallowed nervously and closed her eyes.

"She's lost sir," she said quietly, "She's so alone. Oh, my, so many strange things in her head."

"But where?" Sneed asked.

"She's excited about tonight. Before she died, she was going to see him," Chrysanthemum said.

"Who's him?"

"A great stallion," Chrysanthemum opened her eyes, "All the way from Hoofdon, the great great stallion."

* * *

"Mister Rhyme! Mister Rhyme!" the stage-hoof called, "Excuse me sir, the show is about to begin!" The dressing room door opened, revealing Risky Rhyme (or Charles Dickens as we know him) looking rather blue. Well, he couldn't have looked blue because he was a yellow-cream color like old paper and his mane wasn't blue either, it was a grey-ish brown color. I mean he just looked upset.

"Are you quite well sir?" the stage-hoof asked.

"Splendid," Rhyme crowed, "Absolutely splendid. Sorry."

"It's about time to go on sir," the stage helper explained.

"Yes, absolutely. I was just brooding, Hearth's Warming Eve is not the best of times to be alone," Rhyme said walking back into his dressing room to prepare for the show.

"Did no pony travel with you? No lady wife waiting out front?"

"I'm afraid not."

"You can have my wife if you want."

"Oh I wouldn't dare. I've been rather, let's say, clumsy with family matters. Thank Celestia I'm too old to cause any more trouble."

"You speak as though it's all over, sir."

"No it's never over," Rhyme said a bitterly, "On and on I go the same old show. I'm like a ghost, condemned to repeat myself for all eternity."

The "Same old show", was about Risky Rhyme's latest book, "A Hearth's Warming Song." Rhyme was a brilliant author, anypony who needed to check could just look at his cutie mark, a beautiful quill fresh with ink. The new book was about a crotchety old stallion named Scrooge who hated the holidays and hated being kind to others. But he's visited by the ghost of his old friend, who warns him that if he does not change his ways he shall be condemned to a painful afterlife. Rhyme was tired of performing the same old show; he wanted to do something new! But the inspiration for such things had run dry.

"It's never too late sir," the stag-hoof said cheerfully, "You can always think up something new."

"No, I can't," Rhyme replied, "Even my imagination grows stale. I'm an old pony. Perhaps I've thought everything I'll ever think. Still," he pulled out a very nice coat and began to tug it on, "The lure of limelight's as potent as pipe. On with the show!"

* * *

Roseluck looked at the outfit she was wearing, it looked ridiculous in her opinion. But she had to wear it to fit in with the time period. It was a black vest that had little purple frills on the sleeves and neck and a long purple pink cape that almost brushed the ground. Roseluck had also grabbed a small handbag, to carry any money she had and that "mobile phone" from the Doctor.

Roseluck sighed and trotted back into the console room. The Doctor was working under the platform of the Tardis, doing who knows what to his time machine. Roseluck tapped her hoof on the controls to get his attention. He looked up at her and gasped, "Blimey!"

"Don't laugh!" Roseluck said threateningly.

"You look beautiful," he complimented, "Considering."

"Considering what?"

"That you're a pony."

"I think that's a compliment," Roseluck said, a bit unsure, "Aren't you going to change?"

"Don't have to." The Doctor climbed out from under the controls, "Come on."

"You stay there," Roseluck said pointing, "You've done this before, this one's mine." She ran over to the door and gingerly pushed it open. Flurry of snowflakes tumbled down from on top of the Tardis door. Roseluck stepped out into the snow, she looked around. They were in a town, obviously. It was old, also obviously. The alley they'd landed in had a few crates in it not much more. She kept spinning around to look at everything. The Doctor stepped out of the Tardis behind her and closed the door.

"Ready to do some exploring?" he asked, gesturing to the one way out of the little alley. They trotted out, right onto the busy street in front of the theatre. Neither of them noticed the Hearse pulling up to the theatre behind them.

"She's in there sir, I'm sure of it." Chrysanthemum whispered to Mister Sneed.

"Right." They galloped into the theatre.

Roseluck couldn't quit staring at everything. It was amazing, she really was in 760. The Doctor was buying a newspaper behind her. He opened it and checked the date, it wasn't 760.

"I got the flight a bit wrong," he said walking back over to Roseluck.

"I don't care," she replied staring around.

"It's not 760, it's 769."

"I don't care."

"And it's not Canterlot."

"I don't care!"

"It's Cardhoof." The stopped Roseluck's little carefree parade.

"Right."

(sorry, couldn't think of a pony-pun to replace Cardhoof.)

* * *

"Now it is a fact that there was nothing particular at all about the knocker," Risky Rhyme said to the crowd. He was doing a reading of "A Hearth's Warming Song," and the crowd was really enjoying it. All except for one old mare in the middle of the crowd. She was grimacing as if there was a nasty taste in her mouth.

"But let any pony explain to my if they can, how it happened that Scrooge, having his key in the lock of the door, saw the knocker, without it's undergoing any intermediate process of change, not a knocker, but Rocky's face. Rocky's face! It looked at Scrooge as Rocky used to look. It looked like, like," Rhyme stared into the crowed. The old mare had begun to glow blue, wisps of gas floated off her features.

"Oh my, it looked like that!" Rhyme cried pointing at the old mare. The audience members turned and looked, they gasped.

"What phantasmagoria is this?" Rhyme cried. The old mare stood up and groaned more of the gas came out. The crowd began to panic, somepony screamed, and total chaos erupted.

Outside, the Doctor and Roseluck heard the screams.

"That's more like it!" The Doctor yelled excitedly, galloping off into the theatre.

Inside the theatre, the audience was fleeing and a strange blue-gas creature was coming out of the old mare. It seemed to scream as it flew wildly about the theatre scaring everypony.

"Stay in your seats!" Rhyme cried, "I beg you. It is a lantern show, it's harmless magic, it is trickery!"

"There she is sir!" Chrysanthemum cried as she and Sneed galloped into the theatre.

"I can see that!" Sneed yelled over the chaos, "The whole blooming world can see that" They began climbing over chairs and through aisle to get to the collapsed corpse of Mrs. Redpath.

Then the Doctor and Roseluck rushed in, the Doctor ran over to the stage and leapt up.

"Fantastic! Did you see where it came from?" he asked Rhyme.

"Ah so the wag reveals himself does he? I trust you are satisfied sir!" Rhyme cried angrily.

In the seats, Chrysanthemum and Sneed were picking up the corpse.

"Oi! Leave her alone!" Roseluck yelled at them, "Doctor, I'll get 'em!" She ran after the ponies carrying the corpse outside the theatre.

"Be careful!" the Doctor called after her, "Did it say anything? Can it speak? Oh, I'm the Doctor by the way." Rhyme stared at him, quite confused by the strange stallion's antics and odd questions. The Doctor continued to watch the strange gas creature flying around, until it flew right into a gas lamp.

"Gas, it's made of gas!" he cried.

* * *

Outside the theatre, Roseluck ran outside just in time to see Chrysanthemum and Sneed shoving the corpse into their coach.

"What're you doing?" Roseluck cried running over.

"Oh it's a tragedy miss, don't worry yourself. Me and the master will take care of it," Chrysanthemum said calmly, "The fact is, this poor lady is terribly ill and we have to take her to the infirmary." Roseluck felt the just above old mare's hoof, it was cold as ice and there was no pulse.

"She's cold, she's dead," Roseluck said shocked, "Oh my gosh what did you do to her?!" Roseluck had not noticed Mr. Sneed sneaking up behind her until he had a funky smelling rag pushed into her nose. Roseluck collapsed under the influence of chloroform.

"What did you do that for?" Chrysanthemum asked.

"She's seen too much, get her in the hearse."

The Doctor came galloping out of the theatre just in time to see his companion being shoved in a hearse.

"Roseluck!" he cried.

"Oh no sir," Risky Rhyme said walking up behind him, 'You're not escaping me sir. What do you know about that creature hmm? Projection? A unicorn helping you out? Who put you up to it?"

"Yeah, not now," the Doctor said running off again. He ran up to a coach and hopped in, Rhyme ran after him, now entirely fed up.

"Oi you! Driver! Follow that hearse!" the Doctor ordered.

"I can't do that sir." The driver said.

"Why not?"

"I'll tell you why not!" Rhyme said angrily, "This is my coach!"

"Well then get in," the Doctor pulled Rhyme into the coach, "Move!" and they were off.

"Come on, you're losing them!" the Doctor yelled anxiously.

"Everything in order Mister Rhyme?" asked the driver.

"No! It is not!" Risky Rhyme replied.

"What did he say?"

"Let me say this first, I'm not without a sense of humour," Rhyme grumbled.

"Rhyme?" asked the Doctor.

"Yes…"

"Risky Rhyme?"

"Yes."

"The Risky Rhyme?"

"Should I remove this gentle-colt?" asked the driver.

"Risky Rhyme? You're brilliant you are. Completely one hundred percent brilliant. I've read them all. Great Expectations, Licorice Twist, and what's the other one, the one with the ghosts?"

"A Hearth's Warming Song?"

"No no no, the one with the trains. The Signal Pony that's it. Terrifying! Best short story ever. You're a genius."

"You want me to get rid of him sir?" the driver asked again.

"Um, no, I think he can stay," Rhyme told the driver.

"Thanks, I'm such a big fan of your work," the Doctor said.

"A what?" asked Rhyme confused, "A big what?"

"Fan, number one fan, that's me," the Doctor stated proudly.

"How exactly are you a fan?" asked Rhyme still confused, "In what way do you resemble a way to keep yourself cool?"

"Oh, uh, it means fanatic, devoted to. It means I like what you do," explained the Doctor, "You know what, forget about that, c'mon! Faster!"

"Who exactly is in that hearse?"

"My friend, she's only nineteen and it's my fault she's in there. So I've got to get her out."

"Then why are we wasting time talking about my old books? Driver, be swift! The chase is on!" cried Risky Rhyme.

* * *

"The poor girl is still alive sir! What're we to do with her?" asked Chrysanthemum. She and Mr. Sneed were carrying the unconscious Roseluck into the Family Room where the corpses of Mr. Redpath and his grandmother were resting in their caskets. They set Roseluck down onto the table in the center of the room.

"I don't know!" said Sneed, "I didn't plan any of this, did I? It isn't my fault the dead won't stay dead."

"Then whose fault is it?" asked Chrysanthemum innocently, "Why is this happening to us?" Sneed shrugged and motioned for her to leave with him. They walked out of the room, behind them, the gas lamps flared brightly.

"Maybe we could ask somepony to cast a ghost-proof spell on the house," Sneed rambled as he and Chrysanthemum walked out into the actual house part of the house. Somepony knocked on the front door, it sounded urgent.

"Tell them I'm not in, or that we're closed, just get rid of them!" Sneed said running off into the back rooms. Chrysanthemum wiped a little dust off of her apron and walked to the front door. She opened it and looked out. Risky Rhyme and the Doctor stood outside.

"I'm sorry sir, we're closed," Chrysanthemum said trying to close them out.

"Nonsense, since when does and Undertaker keep office hours?" asked Rhyme, "the dead don't die on schedule. I demand to see your master."

"He's not in sir," Chrysanthemum insisted.

"Don't lie to me girl, summon him at once!" Rhyme said putting his hoof down.

"I'm awfully sorry Mr. Rhyme but the master's indisposed." (Wait, how'd she know he was… oh, never mind!) Inside, a gas lamp flared brightly.

"Having trouble with your gas?" asked the Doctor.

* * *

Roseluck groaned and sat up. Her head hurt something fierce, she massaged her temple with one hoof and used the other to prop herself up. Behind her, a wisp of blue gas floated out of the lamp and into the corpse of Mr. Redpath. Roseluck climbed down off the table, she stretched a little bit. Redpath sat straight up, Roseluck saw the sitting corpse.

"Are you alright?" she asked, "You're kidding me yeah? You're just kidding right? Right?" Redpath turned and looked at her, he looked incredibly creepy. Roseluck started to panic, was he a zombie or not? Redpath stood up and climbed out of the casket, and then his grandmother sat up as well.

"Okay, not kidding." She ran for the door.

* * *

The Doctor ran inside the house past Chrysanthemum. He listened to the wall.

"You're not allowed in here sir," Chrysanthemum protested.

"There's something in the walls," the Doctor muttered, listening closely, "The gas pipes, something's living inside them."

"LET ME OUT!" a voice cried form elsewhere in the house, "OPEN THE DOOR!"

"And that would be her," the Doctor said turning and galloping towards the sound. Rhyme ran after, followed closely by a nervous Chrysanthemum. The Doctor skidded around a corner and ran into Mr. Sneed.

"How dare you-" then Mr. Rhyme barreled into him, "This is my house!" Sneed cried angrily. Chrysanthemum came running too, she ran right past Sneed forgetting to apologize for letting them in. Sneed groaned and followed.

"Let me out!" Roseluck cried pounding on the door with both of her hooves. Redpath and his Grandmother were slowly getting closer, Roseluck couldn't help but panic.

"Somepony open the door!" she begged, "Open the door!" Redpath grabbed her arm and she screamed. The door flew open and the Doctor pulled Roseluck out of the corpse's grip.

"I think this is my dance," he said getting between Roseluck and the corpse.

"It's a prank!" Rhyme cried, "It must be, we must be under some sort of mesmeric influence!"

"No we're not, the dead are walking," said the Doctor, he turned to Roseluck, "Hi.'"

"Hi, who's your friend?" she asked pointing at Risky Rhyme.

"Risky Rhyme," replied the Doctor.

"Okay then." The Doctor turned to address the "zombies", "My name's the Doctor. Who are you then? What do you want?" The corpses replied, in unison with what sounded like many voices at once.

"Failing," they said, "Open the rift. We're dying. Trapped in this form. Cannot sustain. Help us! AGH!" the gases came out of the corpses in what sounded like a scream, and then retreated into the pipes.

* * *

"First you drug me, then you shove me into a very very small hearse with a dead mare, then you lock me in a room with frikkin zombies! And if that's not enough, you swan off and leave me to die!" Roseluck cried angrily.

"I will not be spoken to this way," Sneed shouted back at her. They (meaning everypony who's witnessed Mr. Redpath returning to life in the Family Room) were in the living room of Sneed's house. Chrysanthemum, after they moved the corpses back into the caskets, had suggested that they would be better off discussing this in the living room instead of the room with the dead bodies in it. The young mare was fixing tea, the Doctor was leaning against the fireplace watching amusedly at his companion, and Risky Rhyme was sitting on the sofa next to the side table trying to find a, semi-logical explanation for all of this.

"Then explain this, whose fault is it that the dead are on their hooves trotting around eh?" asked Roseluck sarcastically.

"Well it's not my fault!" Sneed protested, "It's this house! It always did have a reputation, haunted. But I never had trouble till a few months back, and then the stiffs-" everypony in the room glared at him for calling them that, "The, uh, dearly departed, started getting restless."

"Oh tommyrot," Rhyme groaned, still convinced it was all a hoax.

"You witnessed it!" Sneed replied, "Can't keep the beggars down sir. They walk. And it's the queerest thing, but they hang onto scraps." Chrysanthemum handed the Doctor his tea.

"Two sugars, just how you like it," she whispered before making more.

"One old fellow," Sneed continued, "almost walked into his own memorial service! Just like the old mare and your performance, sir, just as she planned."

"Morbid fancy," Rhyme groaned.

"C'mon Rhyme, you were there," the Doctor reminded him.

"I saw nothing but an illusion," he said shaking his head.

If you're going to deny it, then don't waste my time, and just shut up," the Doctor said, "Now what about the gas?"

"That's new sir, never seen anything like it," Sneed answered.

"Means it's getting stronger, the rift's getting wider and something's sneaking through…"

"What's the rift?" asked Roseluck.

"A weak point in time and space. A connection between one place and another. That's the cause of ghost stories, most of the time," the Doctor explained.

"That's how I got this house so cheap, stories go back many generations." No pony notice Risky Rhyme leaving the room and slamming the door behind him.

"Echoes in the dark, queer songs in the air, and this feeling like, like, like a shadow passing over your soul. Mind you, and truth be told, it's been good for business. Just what people expect from a gloomy trade like mine," Sneed said, mostly to himself.

Out in the hall, Risky Rhyme was listening to the wall, more specifically, the wall that would have a gas pipe underneath it. He heard whispers briefly, then silence.

"Impossible," he muttered before moving on in his investigation. He returned to the Family Room, where the corpses were. He looked around briefly before removing the casket lid to Mr. Redpath's coffin. Rhyme tapped the edges of the box, waved his hoof over it to check for wires, and looked underneath the corpse for anything else that could've made it move.

"Checking for strings?" Rhyme jumped, and smacked his hoof against the box. It was the Doctor, he'd been watching for at least a minute.

"Wires perhaps," Rhyme said rubbing his hoof, "There must be some mechanism or magical device behind this fraud."

"Oh come on Rhyme, you saw those things," the Doctor said, partly trying to convince him, "All right, I shouldn't have told you to shut up earlier. I'm sorry. But you've got one of the best minds in the world, you saw those gas creatures."

"I cannot accept that," Rhyme replied stubbornly.

"And what does a body, pony or not, do when it decomposes? It breaks down and creates gas. Perfect home for these gas things. They can slip inside and drive them like your coach."

"Stop, just stop it. Can it be that I have the world entirely wrong?" asked Rhyme.

"Not wrong, there's just more to learn," the Doctor replied.

"I've always railed against such fantasies as ghosts, black magic, and curses. Oh yes, I did love illusions and magic as much as the next stallion, but that we could understand. I tried to learn as much as I could about what I thought was real, and now you tell me the world is one of ghosts and specters? In which case, may I ask, have I wasted my brief time in this life, Doctor? Has it all been for nothing?"

* * *

Chrysanthemum lit the gas light and landed back on the ground; she tucked her wings back under the apron and set to work cleaning the teacups. Roseluck walked into the pantry, she saw Chrysanthemum working so hard and decided to help her. But when she began to help clean, Chrysanthemum protested.

"Please miss, you shouldn't be helping. It's not right," she insisted.

"Oh don't be daft, Sneed works you to death," Roseluck replied handing her a scrubbed cup. Chrysanthemum took the cup and began to towel it dry.

"How much do you get paid?" asked Roseluck as she scrubbed a saucer.

"Eight pound a year miss," Chrysanthemum replied.

"How much?"

"I know," Chrysanthemum said, "I would've been happy with six."

"So… did you go to school?"

"Of course I did, what you think I am some kind of urchin?" asked Chrysanthemum shocked by the question, "I went every Wednesday, nice and proper."

"Only once a week?"

"We did sums and everything. To be honest," she dropped her voice to a whisper, "I hated every second."

"Me too," Roseluck agreed.

"Don't tell anypony," Chrysanthemum whispered, "But one week, I didn't go and flew off down the road." Roseluck giggled, "I did plenty of that. I used to go down to the shops with my mate Crimson. We'd go and look at boys." Chrysanthemum stopped laughing and went back to work.

"Well I don't know much about that miss," she said.

"Come on," Roseluck said playfully, "times haven't changed that much. I bet you've done the same."

"I don't think so miss."

"Chrysanthemum, you can tell me. I bet you've got your eye on somepony."

"I suppose," she paused, "there is this one lad. The baker's boy. He comes by every Tuesday. Such a lovely smile on him."

"A nice smile, good," Roseluck complemented, "Ask him out! Give him a cup of tea or something, that's a start." Chrysanthemum stared at Roseluck with a puzzled smile.

"I swear, it is the strangest thing," she puzzled, "You've got all the clothes and the breeding but you talk like some sort of wild thing."

"Maybe I am," Roseluck stated proudly, "Maybe that's a good thing. You need a bit more in your life than Mister Sneed."

"Oh now that's not fair," Chrysanthemum scolded, "He's not so bad, old Sneed. He was very kind to take me in because I lost my mum and dad to the Cutie Pox." (There was a massive Cutie-pox epidemic in 753 that killed lots of ponies, that's why everypony was so scared of it whenApple-Bloom got it in Ponyville)

"Oh, I'm sorry," Roseluck apologized.

"Thank you miss. But I'll be with them some day," she looked out the window up at the stars, "Sitting in paradise or doing whatever the dead do. They're waiting for me. Maybe your father's waiting up there for you."

"Maybe," Roseluck mused, "Hey, who told you my dad was dead?"

"I don't know," Chrysanthemum said turning back to her work on the dishes "Must've been the Doctor."

"My dad died years back."

"But you've been thinking about him more than ever."

"I suppose so, how do you know all this?"

"Mr. Sneed says I think too much. I'm all alone down here. I bet you've got dozens of servants, haven't you miss?"

"No, no servants where I come from."

"And you've come such a long way."

"What makes you say so?"

"You're from Hoofdon," Chrysanthemum said, looking Roseluck dead in the eye, "I've seen Hoofdon in drawings but never like that. All those ponies, hustling bustling about with almost nothing on, for shame. And the noise, many many coaches racing past, large metal snakes too. (trains) Ponies rushing, running, travelling. And you've travelled farther than anypony else. The things you've seen, the darkness. The big bad wolf." Chrysanthemum shook her head and snapped out of the trance-like stated she'd been in. She took a cautious step back.

"I'm sorry miss, so sorry," she apologized.

"It's all right," Roseluck replied a little uneasily.

"I can't help it. Ever since I was a little filly, my mum said I had the sight. She told me to hide it," Chrysanthemum said worriedly.

"But it's getting stronger, more powerful, is that right?" asked the Doctor just appearing in the doorway causing both mares to jump in surprise.

"All the time sir," Chrysanthemum said quietly, "Every night, voices in my head."

"You grew up on top of the rift. You're part of it, you're the key."

"I've tried to make sense of it sir. Consulted magic experts, medicine zebras, all sorts."

"Well, that should help. You can show us what to do."

"What to do where, sir?" asked Chrysanthemum confused.

"We're going to have a séance."

* * *

Everypony sat at a table that had been set up in the living room, except for Risky Rhyme, he watched from across the room. Chrysanthemum sat at the head of the table, fidgeting nervously, the Doctor sat to her right and Roseluck was on her left. Sneed was sitting at the opposite end of the table.

"This is how Madame Xamby (pronounced Z-amby) does it, down in big town," Chrysanthemum explained, "Come, we must join hooves."

"I can't take part in this," Rhyme groaned.

"Humbug?" the Doctor suggested cheekily, "Come on, open mind."

"This is precisely the sort of, of, fakery I strive to unmask!" he grumbled, "Seances? Nothing but glowing instruments and unicorns hiding behind tarps. This mare knows nothing."

"Now don't antagonize her, I love a happy medium," the Doctor replied smiling.

"I can't believe you just said that," Roseluck said face-hoofing.

"Come on Rhyme, we're going to need you," the Doctor said waving him over. Rhyme rolled his eyes and reluctantly sat down between Roseluck and Chrysanthemum.

"Okay, now Chrysanthemum, reach out," the Doctor instructed. Chrysanthemum looked up to the ceiling, as if she were looking for a window to view the spirits with.

"Speak to us," she commanded, "are you there? Spirits come. Speak to us that we may relieve your burden." Whispers began to echo through the room, it was spooky.

"Can you hear that?" whispered Roseluck.

"Nothing can happen, this is sheer folly!" Rhyme insisted.

"Look at her though."

"I can see them," Chrysanthemum whispered, "I feel them." Little tendrils of blue gas snaked down from the ceiling towards the table. The whispers got louder and more urgent.

"What's it saying?" asked Roseluck. Chrysanthemum paled, she began to panic.

"They can't get through the rift," the Doctor said, "Chrysanthemum, it's not controlling you. You're controlling it. Look deep, allow them through."

"I can't!"

"Yes you can. I know you can Chrysanthemum. Make the link." Chrysanthemum drew in a shaky breath, then, in a bright flash of light and a whoosh of air, three blue-gas figures appeared behind her. The looked like ponies, but their faces were flatter and constantly shifting and they floated at least a foot above the ground.

"Whoa," everypony said in unison.

"Pity us," the figures said in childlike voices, Chrysanthemum spoke with them, "Pity the Gelth. There is so little time. Help us."

"What do you want us to do?" asked the Doctor calmly.

"The rift, take the girl to the rift, make the bridge," they instructed.

"What for?"

"We are so few, the last of our kind. We face extinction," the Gelth said.

"Why? What happened?"

"Once we had physical forms like you, but then the war came."

"War? What war?"

"The Time War. The whole universe convulsed. The Time War raged, invisible to smaller species but devastating to higher forms. Our bodies wasted away. We're trapped in this gaseous state." The Doctor grimaced, he knew exactly what the Gelth were talking about.

"So that's why you need the corpses," he continued.

"We want to stand tall, to feel the sunlight, to live again. We need a physical form, and your dead are abandoned. They're going to waste. Give them to us."

"But we can't," Roseluck protested.

"Why not?" asked the Doctor.

"It's not, I mean, it's not-"

"Not decent? Not polite? It could save their lives." The Gelth flickered for a moment, "Open the rift, let the Gelth through," they begged, "We're dying, help us! Pity the Gelth!" And they vanished. Chrysanthemum collapsed onto the table, unconscious.

"Chrysanthemum?" asksed Roseluck going to her friend's side.

"It's all true," Rhyme muttered, he had just seen real-live ghosts!

"Chrysanthemum? Are you okay? Wake up!"

"It's all true."

* * *

A little later, the living room had been set back the way it was before. No big table and chair setup in the center, just sofas and chairs and the fireplace. Chrysanthemum was laid out on the lounge; Roseluck was keeping tabs on the unconscious mare making sure she wasn't, you know, dead. Chrysanthemum did eventually wake up, which was good.

"It's alright Chrysanthemum, you just sleep," Roseluck said when she tried to sit up.

"But my angels miss, they came, didn't they?" she asked, "They need me?"

"They do need you Chrysanthemum," said the Doctor, "You're they're only chance of survival."

"You're not going to do it though," Roseluck said, as if trying to convince the others of that too, "She's not going to fight your battles Doctor." Roseluck handed Chrysanthemum a small cup of tea, which she accepted gratefully.

"Well, what did you say Doctor? Explain it again please, what are they?" asked Sneed, confused.

"Aliens," the Doctor replied simply.

"Like, foreigners?"

"Pretty foreign yeah, from up there," he pointed up at the ceiling, the gesture meaning space.

"So, up north?"

"Close, ish. And they've been trying to get from there to Cardhoof but the road's blocked. Only a few can get through and even then they're weak. They can only test drive the bodies for a so long, then they have to revert to gas and hide in the pipes."

"Which is why they need the girl," Risky Rhyme finished putting two and two together.

"Well they're not having her," Roseluck said stubbornly.

"But she can help. Living on the rift she's become part of it. She can open it up, make a bridge, and let the Gelth through," the Doctor reminded her.

"Incredible!" Rhyme mused, "Ghosts that are not ghosts but beings from another world who can only exist in our world by inhabiting cadavers."

"Good system, it just might work."

"You can't let them run around inside dead ponies though," Roseluck protested.

"Why not?" asked the Doctor, "It's like recycling."

"Seriously though, you can't!"

"Seriously though I can."

"It's just wrong, those bodies were living ponies and we should respect them, even after death."

"Do you carry a donor card?" asked the Doctor, surprising Roseluck.

"That's different, that's-"

"It is different, a different morality. Get used to it or go home. You heard what they said, time is short. I can't worry about a few corpses when the last of the Gelth could be dying." Roseluck couldn't find words to respond to that, so she just said: "I don't care, they're not having her."

"Don't I get a say miss?" asked Chrysanthemum sitting up on the lounge.

"Look Chrysanthemum, you don't understand," said Roseluck.

"You would say miss," Chrysanthemum replied, "Because that's very clear inside your head that you think I'm stupid."

"That's not fair."

"It's true though," Chrysanthemum insisted, "things might be very different where you're from, but here and now, I know my own mind, and the angels need me. Doctor, what do I have to do?"

"You don't have to do anything," the Doctor reminded her, but not pushing her to drop it.

"They've been singing to me since I was a foal," Chrysanthemum said wistfully, "sent by my mum on an important mission. So tell me what I must do."

"We need to find the rift," the Doctor instructed, "this house is on a weak spot, so there must be a spot that's weaker than any other. Mister Sneed, what's the weakest part of the house? The place where the most ghosts have been seen?" Sneed thought for a moment, and then replied: "That would be the morgue."

"No chance you were going to say Gazebo was there?" sighed Roseluck.

* * *

The Morgue was a very bleak room. The light was dim allowing very little visibility, but anypony could clearly see the dead pony bodies stashed under white sheets. All that you could see of the bodies were their hooves, now a faded color because of them being, well, dead. The Gas lamps flickered faintly, all in all, it looked like a dungeon for dead ponies.

Mr. Sneed unlocked the door and let everypony in. Roseluck came in first with Chrysanthemum, she wrinkled her nose at the stench, and it was repulsive. The Doctor and Risky Rhyme followed shortly.

"Ugh, talk about Bleak House," the Doctor muttered looking around.

"Doctor, I don't want to discourage anypony but, I know the Gelth don't succeed," Roseluck said to him, "I know for a fact corpses weren't walking around in 760."

"Time is always in Flux, changing every second," the Doctor replied, "your cozy little world can be rewritten in a second. Nothing is safe, nothing. Remember that." Suddenly, the room seemed to get much colder.

"Here they come." A blue wisp of gas darted out form one of the lamps and formed into a Gelth underneath the archway.

"You've come to help!" it cried joyously, "Praise the Doctor, praise him!"

"Promise you won't hurt Chrysanthemum!" Roseluck cried as her newest friend stepped forward.

"Hurry!" the Gelth begged, "there is so little time. Pity the Gelth."

"I'll take you somewhere else when the transfer is complete," te Doctor said, "you can rebuild proper bodies there, this isn't a permanent solution. Alright?"

"My angels," Chrysanthemum whispered, "I can help them live."

"Where's the weak point?"

"Here, under the arch," the Gelth answered. Chrysanthemum stepped forward, under the arch and inside the Gelth.

"You don't have to do this!" Roseluck cried.

"Yes, I do Roseluck," Chrysanthemum replied.

"Establish the bridge," the Gelth instructed, "Reach out into the void. Let us through!"

"Yes," Chrysanthemum whispered with wide eyes, "I can see you, I can see you! Come!"

"Bridge head establishing," the Gelth said.

"Come to me. Come to this world, you poor lost souls!" Chrysanthemum cried, reaching her hoof forward as if to grab something and pull it to her.

"It is begun!" the Gelth announced, "The bridge is made!" Chrysanthemum opened her mouth and gasped, blue gas creatures came pouring out of her. Ten, twenty, thirty, there were quite a lot of them.

"She has given herself to the Gelth," it announced, "We descend!" then it changed. From its once pretty sky-blue color to a fiery red, with sharp teeth and claws, "The Gelth come through in force!"

"You said you were few in number!" the Doctor cried furiously.

"A few billion," the Gelth said, its voice now deep and gravelly, "and all of us in need of corpses." Roseluck screamed as all the dead bodies sat up, dropping the white sheets onto the ground. Rhyme backed up towards the door.

"Chrysanthemum stop this," Sneed commanded, "Listen to your master. This has gone far enough. Stop dabbling child and leave these creatures be! I beg you!"

"Mr. Sneed watch out!" Roseluck cried as a corpse reached for Sneed. It grabbed him in a headlock and snapped his neck; one of the Gelth flew into Mr. Sneed's dead body.

"I think it's gone just a little bit wrong," the Doctor muttered, the situation looking grim. Sneed stood back up.

"I have joined the legions of the Gelth," he moaned, "Come, march with us."

"No thanks," Roseluck said nervously.

"Three more," the leader commanded, "Convert them! Make them vessels for the Gelth!"

"Chrysanthemum! Stop them!" the Doctor cried, "Send them back!"

Sneed began to lurch towards the Doctor and Roseluck, who backed away from the zombie. Many more like him marched behind, determined to fulfill their mission. Roseluck and the Doctor were backed into a wall, or, a metal grate covering a small maintenance area. They threw open the grate, dashed in, and locked it behind. They were trapped, but not dead.

Risky Rhyme watched from the doorway, this was too much for him. He galloped out of there as fast as his hooves could carry him. Out of the morgue, into the house, down the hallway, and out the front door which he slammed shut. Rhyme slumped down onto the steps and tried to slow his breathing, he glanced up at the door.

The knocker was glowing. It was glowing just as the old mare in the theatre had, and how Rocky's face had appeared to Scrooge. Suddenly, a Gelth pushed its way out of the knocker, it hovered in the air before Rhyme. Rhyme leapt back to his hooves and continued to run, with a ghost in hot pursuit.

* * *

Down in the morgue, the Gelth's minions were trying to break through the metal bars that protected Roseluck and the Doctor.

"Give yourself to glory!" they spoke, "Sacrifice your lives to the Gelth!"

"I trusted you, I pitied you!" the Doctor yelled furiously.

"We don't want your pity," the Gelth hissed, "We want this world and all it's flesh."

"Not while I'm alive," the Doctor replied.

"Then live no more." The zombie ponies struggled more forcefully than ever to get through the bars.

"But I can't die," Roeluck believed, "Tell me I can't. I haven't even been born yet. It's impossible for me to die. Isn't it?"

"I'm sorry."

"But it's 769. How can I die now?"

"Time isn't a straight line. It can twist into any shape. You can be born in the tenth century and die in the seventh and it's all my fault. I brought you here."

"It's not your fault. I wanted to come."

"What about me? I saw the fall of King Sombra, the First World War. I helped protect Canterlot from Nightmare Moon and now I'm going to die in a dungeon! In Cardhoof."

"It's not just dying, it's becoming one of them," Roseluck whispered, she looked at the Doctor, "But we'll go down fighting yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Together?"

"Yeah." He grabbed her hoof and she grabbed his back.

* * *

Rhyme skidded around a corner with the Gelth on hot pursuit. The Gelth suddenly stopped flying, right beside a street lamp. Rhyme stopped galloping and watched the Gelth.

"Atmosphere hostile," it said, "Failing." Then it disappeared into the lamp.

"Gas," whispered Rhyme, "Gas of course!" And he ran back to the funeral home.

Inside, he began turning off the flames and turning up the gas. It became harder and hared to breathe as more and more of the little lamps went out. Hopefully, this plan would work.

* * *

"I'm so glad I met you," the Doctor said.

"Me too," Roseluck replied, smiling. Then Risky Rhyme came dashing into the room, turning off lamps as he went.

"Doctor!" Rhyme cried over the groaning of corpses, "Turn off the flame and turn up the gas! Now, fill the room, all of it, now!"

"What're you doing?" asked the Doctor.

"Turn it all on, flood the place!" Rhyme instructed.

"So, what, we choke to death instead?" asked Roseluck sarcastically.

"Am I correct Doctor, that these creatures are gaseous?" asked Rhyme, coughing.

"Fill the room with gas, and it'll draw them out of the host!" the Doctor cried, "Suck them into the air like poison from a wound!" The crowd of corpses turned towards Rhyme, a few even groaned in anger. They began to shuffle towards him.

"I hope, oh dear, that this theory will be validated soon," Rhyme stated nervously backing up, "If not immediately."

"Plenty more," the Doctor said, bucking a gas pipe off the wall. The corpses twitched momentarily before the blue gas forms of the Gelth came floating out of them. The Gelth started flying about the room wildly like they had in the theatre. Roseluck opened the gate and she and the Doctor hurried out.

"Chrysanthemum, send them back," the Doctor ordered, "They lied, they aren't angels."

"Liars," she whispered weakly.

"Look at me. If your mother and father could look down and see this, they'd tell you the same. They'd give you strength, now send them back!"

"I can't breathe!" Roseluck cried, hardly able to breathe through all the coughing.

"Rhyme get her out." Rhyme grabbed Roseluck's dress, "I'm not leaving!"

"They're too strong," Chrysanthemum whispered.

"Remember the world you saw?" asked the Doctor, "Roseluck's world? All those ponies, none of it will exist unless you send them back through the rift,"

"I can't send them back," Chrysanthemum insisted, "But I can hold them here. Get out." She reached into her apron, and pulled out a small box of matches.

"You can't!" Roseluck yelled.

"Leave this place," Chrysanthemum repeated.

"Roseluck, get out. Go now, I won't leave her while she's still in danger, GO!" Roseluck nodded, and she and Rhyme galloped out of there.

"Now, give those to me," the Doctor held out his hoof for the matches. Chrysanthemum didn't hand to him. She didn't move. The Doctor reached forward, and felt her neck for a pulse... Nothing.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. He gave her a quick kiss on the forehead, "Thank you." Then ran like a horde of changelings were on his tail. Chrysanthemum slid the box open and pulled a single match out with her teeth. Gelth swirled around her, this was it. She lit the match.

* * *

Roseluck and Risky Rhyme stood outside, just across the street from the house. Roseluck danced anxiously from hoof to hoof, she saw the Doctor running towards the door when KABOOM! The whole building erupted in flame sending the Doctor flying into the snowy street. He quickly leapt back onto his hooves and turned to the building.

"She didn't make it," Roseluck said staring at the burning building.

"I'm sorry, she closed the rift," the Doctor replied solemnly.

"At such a cost," Rhyme mused, "The poor child."

"I tried Roseluck, but Chrysanthemum was already dead, she had been for about five minutes."

"What do you mean?" asked Roseluck.

"I think she was dead the moment she stood under the arch."

"But she can't have, she spoke to us, she helped us, she saved us. How could she have done that?"

"'There are more things in Heaven, Earth, and Magic than are ever dreamt of in your philosophy,'" Rhyme quoted, "Even for you Doctor." Roseluck looked up at the house, "She saved the world. A servant mare. Nopony will ever know."

* * *

The trio trotted down the streets of Cardhoof, towards the Tardis.

"Right then, Risky Rhyme, I've just got to go into my, uh, shed. Won't be long," the Doctor said putting his key into the Tardis to unlock it.

"So, what're you going to do know?" asked Roseluck.

"I shall take a mail coach back to Hoofdon, quite literally Post-Haste," Rhyme said cheerfully, "This is no time for me to be on my own. I shall spend Hearth's Warming Eve with my family and make amends to them. After all I've learned tonight, nothing is more vital."

"You've cheered up," the Doctor noted.

"Exceedingly," Rhyme replied, "This morning I thought I knew everything in the world. Now I know I've only just started. All these huge and wonderful notions, oh, I must write about them."

"You think that's wise?" asked Roseluck.

"I shall be, subtle at first. The Mystery of Brawny Charger still lacks an ending. Perhaps the murderer was not the boy's uncle, perhaps he wasn't of this earth. The Mystery Brawny Charger and the Blue Elementals. I can spread the word, tell the truth!"

"Good luck with it," the Doctor said, "Fantastic meeting you."

"Bye then, and thanks." Roseluck gave Rhyme a hug and stepped up to the now open Tardis.

"Wait, I don't understand, how is this goodbye?" asked Risky Rhyme.

"You'll see, in the shed."

"My goodness Doctor, with you it is one riddle after the next. But after all these revelations, answer me this," Rhyme paused for a moment, "Who are you?"

"Just a friend, passing through."

"But you have such knowledge of future times. I don't wish to impose on you, but Doctor, my books, do they last?" asked Rhyme.

"Yes," the Doctor replied.

"For how long?"

"Forever," the Doctor turned to Roseluck, "Right then, shed, come one Roseluck."

"In the box? Both of you?"

"Down boy, see you!" and they went into the Tardis. Roseluck shut the door behind her and walked up to the Doctor.

"Doesn't it change history if he writes about blue ghosts?" she asked, looking at Risky Rhyme through the Tardis control screen.

"In one week's time it's 770m and that's the year he dies. Sorry, he'll never get to tell his story."

"Oh no, he was so nice."

"But in your time he was already dead, he's more alive now than he's ever been," the Doctor smiled at Roseluck, "Let's give him one last surprise."

* * *

Risky Rhyme stared with wide eyes and an open mouth as the blue box began to fade in and out of existence, accompanied by a strange sort of, _VWORP_–ing sound. Rhyme laughed and turned around, he walked down the road smiling.

"Happy Hearth's Warming eve sir!" a mare called as she passed.

"A Happy Hearth's Warming to you!" he called back, "Celestia bless us, everypony!"

_To be continued in "Aliens of Hoofdon."_

**Me: Done with episode three. Hasbro own Celestia, Roseluck, Canterlot, etc. BBC own the Gelth, Tardis, the Doctor, etc.**

**Again, I've got a poll on my profile for the character names (Harriet Jones MP) that I really would like you to answer. Poll closing on 5/17/13.**


	4. Episode 4, Aliens of Hoofdon

Doctor Whooves

_Aliens of Hoofdon_

**I'd like to go and say, if Ponyville can have a mayor and a princess then Hoofdon can have a Prime Minister and a princess. So, still got parliament, still got the Minister, and still got all his assistants and stuff.**

**And I had a really hard time pulling myself together enough to write this and not scrap it because of the whole "gas exchange" thingy. (AKA the farting part, please don't laugh.)**

_VRRRM VRRRM vrrrm vrrrm vrrr…_The Tardis materialized in the alley behind Roseluck's apartment building. Graffiti covered the walls and the ground. Roseluck stepped out of the Tardis and looked around, she smiled. The Doctor stepped out of the Tardis as well.

"How long have I been gone?" asked Roseluck.

"About twelve hours," the Doctor replied.

"Oh, right, I won't be long. I just want to see my mum then we can go again," Roseluck turned and started to walk off.

"What're you going to tell her?" asked the Doctor.

"I dunno, I've been to the year 5 billion and only been gone about twelve hours? No, I'll just say I was at Crimson's last night," Roseluck walked a little faster, "See you later, and don't run off!" The Doctor rolled his eyes and Roseluck ran home. Now, what to do… the Doctor thought as he idly strolled down the alley. Then something caught his eye.

A missing pony poster, with a picture of a cream colored mare with pink hair. He quickly scanned the poster, it was Roseluck.

* * *

"I'm back mum! I was with Crimson, she was all upset again. Hello? Mum?" Roseluck trotted into the house all smiles, she saw Lilly-luck sitting in the kitchen with a cup of tea. Roseluck bounced into the kitchen, startling Lilly, and making her stare like she'd seen a ghost.

"What?" asked Roseluck confused by her mother's look, "What's that face for? It's not the first time I've stayed out all night."

"It's you," Lilly whispered, amazed.

"Of course it's me," Roseluck said nervously.

"Oh thank Celestia it's you!" Lilly leapt forward and hugged Roseluck. The Doctor ran in, completely out of breath.

"It's not twelve hours," he gasped, "It's twelve months, you've been gone a whole year."

**Cue theme song!**

"The hours I've sat here, days and weeks, all on my own. I thought you were dead! And where were you? Travelling. What the hell does that mean, travelling? That's no sort of answer."

"That's what I was doing."

"When your passports still in the drawer? It's one lie after another!"

"I meant to phone, I really did. I just, couldn't find a payphone."

"What, for a year? You couldn't find a phone for a year? And I am left sitting here. I just don't believe you. Where have you been?"

"Actually, it's my fault. I sort of employed Roseluck as my companion," the Doctor said. Lilly-luck glared at him. Roseluck just rolled her eyes.

"When you say companion," began the police officer that Lilly had phoned for, "Is this a uh, sexual relationship?"

"No," Roseluck and the Doctor said in unison.

"Then what is it?" demanded Lily, "Because you waltz in here all charm and smiles and the next thing I know, she vanishes off the planet! How old are you then 'Doctor'? Forty? Forty-five? What did you meet her in the park pretending to be a doctor?"

"I am a doctor."

"Prove it. Stitch this mate." And Lilly slapped him, hard.

* * *

"Did you think about me at all?" Lilly asked, they had retreated into the kitchen. Roseluck was trying to calm her mother down and at the same time, not blurt out that she had just been travelling through time with an alien.

"I did, all the time," replied Roseluck, "But-"

"One phone call. Just to know you were alive."

"I'm sorry, I really am."

"Do you know what really terrifies me? It's that you still can't tell me. What happened to you Roseluck? What's so bad that you can't tell me sweetheart? Where were you?"

_You wouldn't believe me if I told you,_ thought Roseluck.

* * *

One the roof of the building, Roseluck and the Doctor were just, chilling. The view up there, you could see forever. All the way to Clockwork's Tower (or Big Ben).

"I can't tell her," Roseluck groaned, "I can't even begin. She's never going to forgive me and I missed a whole year! Was it a good one Doctor?"

"Well, other than Princess Luna returning to the throne, nope," he replied.

"Oh well."

"Well, if it's this much trouble, you going to stay here now?"

"I dunno, I can't do that to her again though."

"Well she's not coming with us."

"No chance."

"I don't do families." Roseluck snickered, "What?"

"She slapped you."

"Nine hundred years of time and space, and I've never been slapped by somepony's mother," the Doctor muttered rubbing his cheek.

"You should've seen your face," Roseluck said smiling at the memory, priceless.

"It hurt!"

"You're ridiculous," Roseluck said, "By the way, what do you mean by nine hundred years?"

"That's my age."

"You're nine hundred years old."

"Yeah."

"My mum was right," Roseluck murmured, "That is one hell of an age gap! Every conversation with you goes mental. But then again, there's no one else I can talk to. I've seen all the stuff up there, and I can't say a word. Aliens, spaceships, zombies, and I'm the only pony on Gaia who knows they exist!" _BWAAAM BWAAAAAAAAAMP! _Roseluck whirled round, a giant spaceship looking thing was hurling through the sky, right towards her. She ducked, so did the Doctor, the space ship soared over the building, nearly removing the top floor roof.

It was aimed for the main portion of the city, and was trailing black smoke behind it. The ship narrowly, and clumsily, dodged buildings. Multiple pegaus almost got hit by the crashing object. It didn't dodge Clockwork's Tower though. The ship flew straight through the tower breaking the clock face and sending the hooves of the clock falling to the ground. The ship suddenly took a sharp right turn and dove into the Thames with a mighty splash.

Back on the building, Roseluck stared at the smoke rising from downtown Hoofdon. She looked over at the Doctor who looked like his birthday had come early. He gave a triumphant laugh and took off, galloping down the stairs and probably towards the crash.

"Oh that's just not fair," she moaned.

* * *

A solid line of soldiers blocked the road. Behind them, a giant magic shield had been erected to stop any curious pegasi from getting a closer look. (those of which could be seen standing on top of the shield with their faces pressed against it) The soldiers stood straight at attention, pointing ponies away from the blockade. Traffic was at a standstill, carts left abandoned and the goods removed so they wouldn't get stolen or spoiled.

The Doctor had to shove his way past multiple ponies just to get close to the block. Roseluck followed as close as she could, which was hard considering everypony was trying to storm away in an angry fashion.

"It's blocked off," the Doctor pointed out.

"We're miles from the center," Roseluck supposed, "The city must be gridlocked. The whole of Hoofdon must be closing down."

"I know!" the Doctor said, bouncing excitedly, "I can't believe I'm here to see this! This is fantastic!"

"Did you know this was going to happen?" asked Roseluck.

"Nope."

"Do you recognize the ship?"

"Nope!"

"Do you know why it crashed?"

"Nope!"

"Oh, I'm so glad that I know you."

"I bet you are. This is what I travel for Roseluck. To see history happening right in front of me!" the Doctor exclaimed. (He's acting just a little bit like Pinkie Pie.)

"Well let's go see it," Roseluck said, "Never mind traffic, we've got the Tardis."

"Better not. They've already got one spaceship in the middle of Hoofdon. I don't want to shove another one on top."

"Yeah, but yours looks like a big blue box. No pony's going to notice."

"You'd be surprised. Emergency like this, there'll be all kinds of ponies watching. Trust me. The Tardis stays where it is."

"So, history's happening and we're stuck here," Roseluck summed it up.

"Yes, we are."

"We could all do what everypony else does," Roseluck said, "We could listen into the radio."

* * *

"Clockwork's Tower destroyed as a UFO crash lands in Central Hoofdon," the little brown radio squawked, "Police reinforcements are being sent in from as far as Ponyville to control the widespread panic. A state of national emergency has need declared. Rope Hitchinson is at the scene." The voice changed, a bit higher, more childish, younger.

"The police are urging the public not to panic. The number 480-815-7098 is a help line in case you're worried about friends or family. Word has come in that all major roads have been closed off all across Equestria, causing major gridlock throughout major cities.

"Right now, divers are being sent into the wreckage of the spaceship. No pony knows what they're going to find. Ponies everywhere, all across the kingdom, are demanding information."

"I've got no choice," Lilly-luck said. The Doctor rolled his eyes, he was trying to find out what in Celestia's name is going on out there and all these mares can do is gossip.

"You've broken your mother's heart," the newest arrival Daisy said, scolding Roseluck.

"Hello? Trying to listen about the spaceship over here!" the Doctor said a bit annoyed and turned up the radio's volume.

"This just in! They've found a body in the space ship! It's not one hundred percent confirmed, but I'm being told that a body has been found in the wreckage. A body that isn't from anywhere on this planet. But regardless, a body has been found in the wreck." The radio suddenly cut to static, as a baby pony was messing with the dials. The mini get together with Daisy had become a full blown welcome home party for Roseluck, the flat was now full of chattering ponies. The Doctor gently but forcefully, shooed the foal and turned the radio back to the news story.

"The body is being transferred to a secure location in Albion Hospital. We still don't know if it is alive or dead. Whitehall is denying everything. But the body is here, at Albion Hospital. The road has been closed off and there is no unauthorized entry. Patients are being moved to other hospitals and the building is being evacuated.

"Wait… Yes, okay, I'm being told that General March is now entering the hospital. The police still won't confirm the presence of an alien body contained within Albion Hospital."

* * *

Down town Hoofdon, in Albion Hospital, General March was being lead through the empty building to where the alien was supposedly contained. March was a, well let's be honest, larger pony. His coat was a camouflage green and his hair was a lighter color, his cutie mark was a shining metal like one would win for great deeds.

March was lead down multiple corridors, into the morgue/autopsy rooms. A nurse unicorn was writing something down on a clipboard of notes. On the table in front of her lay a large misshapen object, behind her were odd looking x-rays. She looked up from her work as the General came in. He stood beside the table with the body.

"Let's have a look at this 'alien'," March said, unsure of what he'd see. The nurse, using her magic, lifted the white sheet just enough to see the creatures head.

"My goodness. And that's real?" asked March, "It's not a hoax or dummy?"

"No sir, I've x-rayed the skull. It's wired up like nothing I've ever seen before," the nurse replied dropping the sheets, "No pony could make this up." General March nodded, "Well, we've got experts being flown in. Until the arrive, get that thing out of sight." He turned to leave, "Excuse me sir," the nurse asked, "I know it's a state of emergency and there's a lot of rumour flying around, but is it true what they're saying about the Prime Minister?" March did not reply, he simply left.

* * *

Radio transmission:

_Mystery still surrounds the whereabouts of the Prime Minister who vanished this afternoon right off the streets. He's not been seen since the emergency began. The opposition are criticizing his lack of leadership. Replacing him for the time being, will be Green Belt, MP (member of Parliament) for Hartley Dale. He's the Chairman of the Parlimentary Commision for… the monitoring of sugar standards in exported confectionary? What? With all due respect, he's hardly the most important pony right now._

_Anyways, Mr. Belt is arriving at 10 Downing Street now._

* * *

Green Belt, the temporary Prime Minister, walked into the building known as 10 Downing. 10 Downing itself was a mansion, with many rooms just perfect for holding parliamentary meetings. The building was all hustle bustle with the recent shock of a frikkin ALIEN spaceship crashing in the Thames. Ponies rushing in and out trying to get their jobs done or clear up confusion, neither of which was getting done.

Green himself was, again being honest, a large stallion. Just being honest. And dispite his name being "Green", he was a rather ugly yellow color, with a thinning black mane and a nervous look like he was being watched. Green was ushered into the building; he was immediately greeted by another (unicorn) pony who introduced himself as Ganesh, a junior secretary working with the MOD (ministry of defense, the head of which is Shining Armor).

"If we could talk in private," Ganesh offered, "Follow me upstairs." Suddenly, a pegasus mare came rushing up.

"Excuse me!" she called, "Excuse me, I'm Parliament. MP for Clouds-dale North."

"I'm sorry ma'am, can it wait?" asked Ganesh impatiently.

"But I did have an appointment at 3:15," Parliament insisted.

"Yes, and a spaceship crashed in the middle Hoofdon. I think the schedule might have changed." Ganesh turned around and led Mr. Green upstairs.

"I assume you've heard about the alien body sir?"

"Nevermind that, where is he?" asked Green nervously, "Where's the Prime Minister?"

"No ponyguyows sir," Ganesh replied, "He's disappeared. I have to inform you that with the city gridlocked and the Cabinet stranded outside Hoofdon, that makes you acting Prime Minister with immediate effect." (Oh, that's why sugar guy got the position, cuz' no one else was there to do it either.)

"Oh my Celestia," Green sighed, "Wait, ugh, hold on." He farted, "Pardon me, it's just a nervous stomach. Anyway." Ganesh led Green upstairs to the Cabinet Room, where the Parliament would convene had they been there. Instead, two other (fairly large) ponies were there, a Pegasus stallion and an Earth mare.

"This is Tricky Truth, she's with MI5," Ganesh said, introducing them.

"There's no more information sir," Tricky Truth explained, "I personally escorted the Prime Minister to his coach. Solar Charge here can explain more, he was the transport liason."

"The coach's disappeared," Charge continues, "There's no record of it sir, it literally vanished."

"Right, okay then, inside, tell me everything," Green instructed ushering the other parliament ponies into the Cabinet Room.

"Uh, sir?" Ganesh held out a bright red briefcase to him, "The emergency protocols. Detailing what actions are to be taken by the Government of Equesria in the event of Alien invasion."

"Right then, well give it here." Green took the case from Ganesh and accidently let loose another fart, he apologized then joined Tricky Truth and Solar Charge in the Cabinet Room. He set the red briefcase on the long brown table and stared at it for moment. Green glanced up at the other politicians, he chuckled. Tricky Truth giggled, Solar Charge started to laugh as well, soon they were all laughing madly at some private joke. A private joke that might just destroy Gaia.

* * *

The Doctor walked out of the Luck's flat, glad for it to be just a bit quieter than all the pony chitter-chat that wouldn't stop inside the house. Roseluck followed closely behind him.

"And where do you think you're going?" she asked.

"Nowhere," the Doctor said a bit frustrated, "It's just a bit pony-ish in there for me. History just happened and they're talking about the best place to get muffins. I'm going for a wander is all."

"Right," Roseluck agreed sarcastically, "There's a spaceship on the Thames and you're just wandering."

"Nothing to do with me," the Doctor said, "It's not an invasion. That was a genuine crash landing. Angle of descent, color if smoke, everything. It's perfect."

"So?"

"So maybe this is it. First contact. The day ponies officially come into contact with an alien race. I'm not interfering because you've got to handle this on your own. That's when the pony-race finally grows up. Just this morning you were all tiny and small and made of clay! Now you can expand!"

"Well I'm coming with you," Roseluck insisted.

"No, you don't need me. Go and celebrate history. Spend some time with your mum."

"Promise you won't disappear?"

"Tell you what," the Doctor reached into his pocket and pulled out a silver key on a chain, "Tardis key. It's about time you had one." He handed it to Roseluck, "See you later!" with a quick wave, the Doctor walked out of the apartment building and down the alley to his Tardis. He glanced at the side and scowled, some riff-raff kid had spray-painted Bad Wolf on the side of his Tardis. The nerve!

Upstairs on a neighboring flat building, Gear, Roseluck's boyfriend, was outside on his balcony scanning the sky for shooting stars or spaceships. Then he looked down at the alley, and saw the blue box. He gasped, the Doctor was back, then Roseluck must be with him!

"Doctor!" Gear called waving his hooves wildly, the Time-Pony didn't notice. Gear called again and, finally realizing that screaming at him from six stories up wasn't going to help, leapt into the air and flew down. The Tardis began to dematerialize and just as Gear was about to land it vanished and he flew straight into the metal gratified wall behind it.

* * *

In 10 Downing street, Ganesh was filing some paperwork. Parliament, the mare who'd asked him and Mr. Green earlier about her 3:05 appointment, trotted up. She had a cup of coffee balanced carefully on her hoof, Parliament set it down on the desk in front of Ganesh.

"I bet no pony's bought you a cup of coffe," she said kindly. (Quick description: very light pink coat, frizzy brown mane tied with a floppy ribbon, cutie mark that was a scroll stamped shut)

"Thank you," Ganesh said before returning to work.

"Pleasure."

"You still can't go in." Parliament scowled, "Darn, you saw through my cunning plan."

"Look I'm sorry. It's just impossible right now."

"Now even for two minutes?" asked Parliament, "I don't get many chances to walk these corridors. I'm hardly one of the, um, babes, just a faithful back bencher. And I know we've had a brand new world crash land in the river, and, that's wonderful. Nevertheless, ordinary life keeps ticking away. I need to enter this paper." The doors to the Cabinet Room swung open wide and the trio of politicians came strutting out, Mr. Green in the lead.

"Oh Mr. Green!" Parliament said, trying to get his attention, "Sir! I know you're busy, but could you put this on the next Cabinet agenda?"

"What is it?" asked Green impatiently.

"Cottage Hospitals," Parliament replied cheerfully, "I've worked out a system that will help cottage hospitals stay open. You see, my mother's in the Clouds-dale infirmary and-"

"By Luna's moon lady!" Green cried, "Get some perspective. I'm busy." And he left in huff. Ganesh gave her an apologetic look and hurried out with them. When they had left, Parliament peeked outside to make sure, then snuck into the Cabinet Room, closing the door behind her. She crept over to the table, opened the red briefcase, and slipped her file in. She was about to leave when a glance at the papers underneath caught her attention.

Parliament moved her file and looked at the pages underneath. The Emergency Protocols.

* * *

The nurse, her name is Lantern by the way, was looking over the x-rays for the alien once more. Checking for any signs that it was a puppet, a robot, or a giant toy. Nope. It was legit. _BLAM!_ Lantern whirled around, the pounding sound had come from Body Cold Chamber 5, where the Alien corpse was being held. _Blam! Blam!_ The sounds were coming from inside.

Lantern glanced at the door, no ponies there. This wasn't a prank. She swallowed nervously and tip-hoofed forward, towards the cold chamber. The BLAM-ing turned into knocking, like somepony was asking to be let in, or out. Lantern reached up for the handle to the cold chamber and… "AGH!"

* * *

Downstairs, in a storage room, the Tardis parked itself between a box of diapers and a crate of bandages. The Doctor opened the door and shimmied between the stacks to get over to the door out of the tiny closet. He tried the door handle, locked. The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver, it hummed a little too loudly when he powered it on.

"Shh." He scanned the door's lock, it popped open. He pushed open the door, and found himself in a room full of soldiers. It looked like they'd been in the middle of eating; the soldiers stared at him in surprise before scrambling to grab their spears and crossbows. All of which ended up being pointed in the Doctor's face.

Then suddenly, from another part of the hospital, somepony screamed. The Doctor was first to react.

"Defense plan delta," he instructed pushing through the soldiers, "Move! Move!" He ran at full gallop with about twenty soldiers following, all ready to fight. When they reached the morgue, they found poor Lantern cowering behind her desk holding a metal bowl out as if to defend herself. She had a nasty cut on her forehead and kept repeating, "It's alive! It's alive!"

"Spread out," the Doctor ordered, "Tell the perimeter it's a lockdown." When the guards didn't respond he shouted "Do it!" and they took off, splitting up and checking other rooms for a live alien. The Doctor and a soldier stayed behind to comfort Lantern and keep an eye out.

"I swear it was dead," she whispered in shock.

"Coma, shock, hibernation, anything," the Doctor replied, "But what does it look like?" _Clang!_ There was a clattering of metal from behind the cabinets at the far end of the room.

"It's still here." The soldier loaded his crossbow as the Doctor dropped down as low as he could and crept forward. More clattering sounds came from behind the cabinet as he got closer. But when he looked behind, it wasn't anything threatening, but a pig. In a space suit. A. Space. Suit. If it wasn't alien it would've been adorable.

"Hello," the Doctor said smiling at the sheer silliness of it. The pig squealed in alarm and jumped up, it ran out of there as fast as its tiny hind legs could carry it.

"Don't shoot!" the Doctor ordered as the soldier raised his crossbow. The pig turned a corner and ran out into the hallways of Albion Hospital, where the other soldiers were stationed. The Pig ran down the hall towards a younger soldier, who in a mode of panic, raised his crossbow and shot the pig with an arrow, killing it.

The Doctor ran out of the Morgue, and saw the dead pig.

"What did you do that for?" he demanded, "It was scared!" He knelt next to the dying creature, "It was scared."

* * *

10 Downing street.

"I'm getting calls and letters from all over the world, message after message because Downing won't reply to anything. This is outrageous! We haven't even started making a plan to do anything! The whole planet is watching Hoofdon." Parliament glanced up at the door, away from the emergency protocols. It was General March and the politicians from earlier. Parliament scrambled to put the files back into the briefcase, she listened closely to the conversation outside while doing this.

"Well it has been a bit of a shock," Green said.

"This is the greatest crisis in History and you've done nothing!" March roared, "Your behavior has been shameful. You're supposed to be in charge. We need a way out, the capital's ground to a halt!" Parliament closed the case and peeked outside, the politicians were walking towards the Cabinet Room. She flew over to the other side of the room and tried the door, locked, she tried the closet, unlocked thankfully. She dashed in and clsed the door just to, to avoid it making any noise.

"Furthermore," March said trotting into the cabinet room, followed by Green, Charge, and Truth, "We can only assume that the Prime Minister's disappearance is the direct result of hostile alien action, and what have you been doing? Nothing."

"Sorry, sorry," Green apologized before smiling smugly, "I thought I was Prime Minister now."

"Only be default," March replied stiffly.

"Oh that's not fair," Green whined, "I've been having such fun."

"You think this is fun?" asked March.

"It's a hoot this job," Green said chuckling.

"Honestly, it's super," Tricky Truth added. (prepare for farts…) Then Solar Charge farted, it was loud and smelled awful.

"Oh, excuse me," Charge apologized chuckling, he farted again, "oh my!" Then Green, then Tricky Truth, the whole room began to smell. The three laughed harder after each gas-expulsion, making witty comments and acting like teenagers instead of adult ponies.

"What's going on here?" asked General March confusedly, "Where's the rest of the Cabinet? Why haven't they been brought in?"

"I cancelled it," Green replied between laughs, "They'd only get in the way."

"Sir! Under section five of the Emergency Protocols, it is my duty to relieve you of command." The laughter ceased. "And by Celestia's mane I'll turn the whole situation over to the princesses if I have to." Green glared at March, then smiled evilly.

"Oh, I'm scared," he said sarcasticly, walking around the table and standing in front of March, "I mean, that's hair raising. I mean, literally. Look!" He reached up to his forehead and pushed back the edge of his mane. Something small and silver was attached to his forehead. It was a zipper, Green slid the zipper across his forehead, blue light leaked out. March glanced over at Truth and Charge, they were doing the same, filling the room with that eerie blue light.

Parliament watched from the closet, the politicians were aliens! They moved the zippers all the way around their heads. Parliament gasped as the skins were pulled off and the aliens revealed. March screamed as they attacked him. Parliament covered her mouth to keep from screaming as well and turned away. Sounds of breaking bones and tearing flesh came from the other room as General March was reduced to lunch.

* * *

Albion Hospital,

"I just assumed that's what aliens look like," said Lantern, "But you're saying it's an ordinary pig from Gaia."

"More like a sea monster," the Doctor replied, studying the dead pig, "Old show-ponies used to attract crowds by taking the skull of, well, anything and gluing it onto a fish and calling it a sea monster. Now somepony's taken this pig, opened up it's brain, stuck a few bits on, then they strapped it in the ship and made it dive bomb. It must've been terrified. They took this animal and made it a joke."

"So it's a fake, a pretend," Lantern concluded, "Like a sea monster. But the technology augmenting it's brain is like nothing I've ever seen. It's alien, aliens faking aliens. But why would they do that?" she asked the Doctor. But he wasn't there.

"Doctor?" She trotted out into the hall and called again. Nothing, but then a wind started up from down the hall, accompanied by an odd scraping sort of noise.

* * *

Back at the luck flat, the party was in full swing.

"To the Martians!" somepony cried.

"The Martians!" everypony else crowed. Except for Roseluck. She kept turning the Tardis key over and over in her hooves, this party was incredibly boring compared to almost being disintegrated by sun beams or strangled by zombies. The mostly joyful chatter suddenly shushed, Roseluck looked around. It was Gear, he stood in the doorway with a look of disbelief.

"I was going to come see you," she started.

"Somepony owes Gear an apology," Daisy said.

"I'm sorry," Roseluck apologized.

"Not you," Daisy looked at Lilly-luck.

"Well it's not my fault, what was I supposed to think?"

* * *

"You disappear and who do the police turn to? Your boyfriend. Five times I was taken in for questioning. Five times! No evidence. Course there couldn't be, could there? And then I get her, you mother, whispering around, pointing her hoof. Stuff though my letterbox, and all because of you." Gear was mad, like, really really mad. I would use another word except, we're in Equestria remember?

"I didn't think I'd be gone so long," Roseluck protested trying to calm her boyfriend down.

"And I waited for you Roseluck!" Gear said, "Twelve months, waiting for you and the Doctor to come back."

"Hold on," Lilly said, "You knew about the Doctor? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Yeah, yeah why not Roseluck?" asked Gear as he shut the serving door and kitchen door to keep out eavesdroppers, "Huh? How could I tell her where you went?"

"Tell me now," Lilly demanded.

"I might as well, 'cos your stuck here. The Doctor's gone. Just now. That box thing just faded away."

"What do you mean?" asked Roseluck, in partial shock.

"He's left you," Gear said smirking, "Some boyfriend he turned out to be." Roseluck, in denial and shock, ran past the both of them, grabbed her jacket and Tardis key, and ran out of the flat as fast as possible. Down the stairs and out to the alley behind the flat building where the Tardis should've been parked. With the Tardis key chain between her teeth, Roseluck ran around looking for the Tardis. Gear flew down from upstairs and landed next to her.

"He wouldn't go," she said through her teeth, "He promised me."

"Oh he's dumped you Roseluck," Gear said, "Sailed off into space. How does it feel? Now you are left behind with the rest of us ponies, get used to it."

"He would've said."

"What're you two doing now?" asked Lilly trotting up, "What's going on? What's this Doctor done now?"

"He's vamoosed," Gear stated proudly.

"He hasn't because he gave me this," Roseluck said looking at the key, "He's not my boyfriend Gear. He's better than that. He's much more important than- ah!" Roseluck dropped the key, it had begun to flash gold. The sound of the Tardis began, it got steadily louder until a faint outline was visible.

"I told ya," she said to Gear before turning to Lilly, "Mum! Mum go inside. Don't just stand there go! Just go in- oh dear." The Tardis had fully materialized, Lilly was staring at it with wide eyes.

"How'd you do that?" she asked shocked. Roseluck sighed and walked over to the Tardis and using her brand new Tardis key, opened the door and went in. The Doctor was up by the console, staring hard at the screen.

"Alright," he said as Roseluck trotted up to have a look, "I went and had a look. But the whole crash landing's a fake. I thought so. Just too perfect, I mean, hitting Clockwork's Tower? Come on, so I thought I'd have a look."

"My mum's here," Roseluck said, ending the Doctor's little spiel. He turned around and saw both Gear and Lilly-Luck standing in the Tardis doorway.

"Of that's just what I need," he groaned, "Don't you dare make this place domestic."

"You ruined my life Doctor!" Gear accused, "They thought she was dead. I was a murder suspect."

"See what I mean? Domestic!"

"I bet you don't even remember my name."

"Smear."

"It's Gear."

"No it's Smear."

"I think I know my name Doctor."

"You think you know your own name? How stupid are you?" Lilly, who'd been trying to keep it together, snapped. She turned around and galloped as fast as she could away from the strange box.

"Mum! Don't! Mum no!" Roseluck called after, then turning to the quarreling stallions, "Don't go anywhere, don't start a fight." Then she galloped out of the Tardis after her frightened mother.

"Mum! It's not what you think!" Roseluck yelled, "You know what, I'll be up in a minute. Hold on!" Roseluck stopped running, turned around, then went back into the Tardis.

"That was real spaceship yea?" she asked rejoining the Doctor and Gear at the console.

"Yep," the Doctor replied.

"So it's all a pack of lies?" asked Roseluck, "What is it then? Are they invading?"

"Funny way to invade, setting the world on Red Alert," Gear pointed out. (and by the way, it's not red alert, IT'S MAUVE ALERT! GET IT RIGHT!)

"Good point!" the Doctor said, "so what're they up to?"

* * *

Lilly-luck was back in the flat more specifically, her bedroom. The radio was on the news channel, the party was in full swing, and she was confused. Magic blue boxes, spaceships, aliens, Roseluck, a thousand things were tumbling around inside her head and she couldn't make mane or tail of it. She flopped onto the bed and buried her face in a pillow.

"Are there more ships to come?" asked the pony through the radio, "And what is their intention? The authorities are asking if anypony knows anything please call the number 480-815-7098. We need your help." Lilly looked at the radio, then she made up her mind. Picking up the white corded phone, she pressed each number quickly before calling. The tone rang once, twice, three times before somepony picked it up.

"Yes I've seen one," Lilly said into the phone, she was this close to freaking out, "I really have. An alien. And she's with him, my daughter, she's with him and she's not safe. Oh my gosh she's not safe." Lilly took a deep breath to calm down and continue, "I've seen and alien, and I know his name. He's called the Doctor. His ship, it's a box, a blue box. She called it a Tardis."

* * *

The pony taking Lilly's call check the list of key words, and found three very important ones. He ripped off the head phones and sounded the red alert. Well, not the general red alert, the specific one. The Code Nine red alert. (It's mauve!)

* * *

Back in the Tardis, the Doctor was under the platform doing Celestia knows what to the Tardis. Gear looked down through the hatch at him.

"So, what're you doing down there?" asked Gear.

"Smear,"

"It's Gear."

"Fine, Gear, If I was to tell you what I was doing to the controls of my frankly magnificent time ship, would you even begin to understand?"

"I suppose not."

"Well, shut it then." Gear scowled, got back to his hooves, and walked over to Roseluck.

"Some friend you've got," he said stiffly.

"He's winding you up," Roseluck replied, "I really am sorry."

"Okay."

"I am though."

"Every day, I looked. On every street corner, wherever I went, looking for a blue box for a whole year."

"It's only been a few days for me. I don't know, it's hard to tell being inside this thing but I swear it's just a few days since I left."

"Not enough time to miss me then?"

"I did miss you," Roseluck whispered.

"I missed you too," Gear replied.

"So, twelve months, anything big happen?"

"No, not really, except Nightmare Moon returned."

"I heard, you been seeing anypony else?"

"No, mainly because they all think I'm a psychopath murderer." Roseluck smiled at Gear, he smiled back. But the moment was shattered with a triumphant cry of "Got it!" from the Doctor. He popped out from under the platform and trotted over to the moniter.

"Patched the radar, looped it back twelve hours so we can follow the flight path of that spaceship," he explained, "Here we go." Nothing happened, the monitor didn't change. The Doctor frowned, gave at quick smack with his hoof, then smacked it again. Then, a mini version of Gaia popped up, it kept replaying the schematic of the ship coming to Gaia.

"That's the spaceship coming in," the Doctor explained, pointing to the tiny dot, "Except, see the angle of it, if we trace it back," he pressed a button on the side of the screen which made the image zoom out. "The spaceship did a slingshot around the planet before it landed."

"what does it mean?" asked Roseluck.

"It means it came from Gaia in the first place. It went up and came back down. Whoever those aliens are, they haven't just arrived, they've been here for a while. The question is, what have they been doing?"

* * *

Parliament was having a hard time holding onto her lunch. She'd just watched General March of the Hoofdon Guard get eaten by aliens, and now they were using his skin to play dress-up. Solar Charge's skin had been discarded, and the alien that was wearing that was now wearing March, who got up from laying on the floor.

"What do you think?" he asked, "How's the compression? I think I've got to much ballast around the middle." He farted and sighed, "Ah, that's better."

"We've really got to fix the gas exchange," 'Tricky Truth' said dusting herself off, "It's getting ridiculous.

"I don't know," 'Green' said, "Seems very normal if you ask me. We better get rid of the skin before somepony sees."

"Shame," 'General March' sighed picking up the skin, "I quite enjoyed being Solar Charge. He had a wife, a daughter, a little boy." Parliament managed to duck behind a file cabinet before the closet was opened and the skin tossed in. "I was so busy."

"Back to work."

"I have an army to command!"

"Careful now, we're not there yet." The group of fake politicians left the Cabinet Room and were intercepted by Ganesh, who looked a bit panicked.

"General March! Sir, we've had a priority alarm. It's Code Nine, confirmed code nine," Ganesh said quickly and out of breath.

"Which would mean?"

"In the event of the emergency protocols," explained Ganesh, "We've got ponies that search all communications for keywords, and one of those is Doctor. I think we've found him sir."

"What sort of Doctor?" asked Tricky Truth, "Who is he?"

"Well, evidently he's some sort of alien expert, the ultimate expert. And we need him sir, we need him here now."

* * *

In the Tardis, Roseluck and Gear were flipping through different radio frequencies on the scanner trying to find out anything they can. Roseluck turned it onto PNS to see what they had to say.

"Alien experts are being flown in from all over Equestria, even from the Griffon kingdom. These are ponies and griffons who have spent their entire career researching outer space."

"They better have ERAD there," the Doctor said, "Equestria Research and Defense."

"How do you know them?" asked Roseluck.

"'Cos he used to work for them," Gear explained, "Oh yeah, did I forget to mention I did a bit of research while the two of you were gone?"

"Nice work Gear."

"If you know them, why don't you go help?" asked Roseluck.

"They wouldn't recognize me. I've changed a lot since then. Besides, the world's on knife's edge. There's real aliens and fake aliens. We want to keep this alien," he pointed at himself, "Out of it. I'm going under cover. Better figure out where to hide the Tardis. Now c'mon, we've got a spaceship to check out."

"What?" asked Roseluck and Gear simultaneously.

"The roads are clearing. Let's go take a look." They trotted out of the Tardis, and straight into a spotlight being held by some Pegasus above them.

"Don't move! Step away from the box and put your hooves where we can see them!" somepony said through a megaphone. A quick glance around revealed they were surrounded by police officers and armed guards. Gear, in a streak of panic shot off into the sky leaving Roseluck and The Doctor behind. Lilly-luck came running out of the flat building.

"Roseluck!" she called trying to get passed the soldiers, "Roseluck!"

"You are now under arrest." The Doctor smiled cheekily at the soldiers and replied with: "Take me to your leader!"

* * *

Roseluck, albeit a bit reluctantly, climbed into the police coach. The door was shut then locked behind her.

"This is a bit posh," she said looking at the fancy interior, "If I knew it was going to be like this I would've gotten arrested years ago."

"We're not being arrested," the Doctor said, "We're being escorted."

"Where to?" asked Roseluck.

"Where do you think?" countered the Time-Pony, "Downing Street."

"You're kidding."

"I'm not."

"10 Downing Street?"

"That's the one." Roseluck laughed, "Oh-my-gosh-oh-my-gosh-oh-my-gosh-oh-my-gosh! I'm going to 10 Downing Street? How come?"

"I hate to say it, but Gear was right. Over the years I've visited this planet so many times that I've been, uh, noticed."

"And now they need you?"

"Like it said on the news. They're gathering experts on alien knowledge. And who's the biggest expert of the lot?" asked the Doctor.

"Moore?" suggested Roseluck.

"Apart from him."

"Oh don't you just love it."

"I'm telling you, the best of 'em used to drink to me under the table. Hey, who's Prime Minister now?"

"How should I know? I missed a year." The coach rumbled to a stop outside 10 Downing, at least a hundred reporters were standing around outside with their cameras. And the minute that the Doctor stepped outside, a thousand firecrackers seemed to go off as the cameras flashed. The Doctor waved at a few people, but didn't hang around for more than a few seconds. Roseluck couldn't stop staring around at everything.

"Oh-my-gosh-oh-my-gosh-oh-my-gosh-oh-my-gosh," she kept repeating all the way inside 10 Downing.

* * *

Back at the Luck household, Lilly had three police officers interrogating her at once. One is enough but three just makes it hard to talk.

"Roseluck's alright then? She's not in any trouble?" asked Lilly, nervously pacing.

"Well, all I can say is, you daughter and her companion might be in a position to help the country," one of the police officers began, "We'll need to know how she came into contact with this man, if he is a man." The police officer sat down in a chair across from Lilly, a note must be made that he was a bit large for a pony. (hint hint wink wink)

"Right then, you two may leave," the police officer instructed, "I need to talk with Mrs. Lilly-luck on my own thank you."

* * *

Parliament quickly trotted through the halls of 10 Downing, she needed to find the experts. She did find them, in the same room with two of the alien-politicians. She showed the guard at the door her ID and was let in. Moments after she arrived, Ganesh came into the room holding an ID card for somepony. Probably the Doctor, who was chatting with somepony from ERAD and Roseluck.

"Mares and Gentle-colts can we convene? Quick as we can, it's this way on the right. And may I remind you ID cards are to be worn at all times," said Ganesh. He walked over to Roseluck and the Doctor and handed the Doctor the spare ID card.

"Here's your ID card. I'm sorry but your companion doesn't have clearance."

"I don't go anywhere without her," the Doctor replied.

"You're the Code Nine not her, she can't go in. I'm sorry Doctor, she'll have to stay here."

"She's staying with me."

"Look, even I don't have clearance to go in there. I can't let her in."

"It's alright, you go," Roseluck said, "I can stay behind."

"Excuse me!" Parliament cried just before the Doctor left, "You're the Doctor yes?"

"Sure."

"Not now miss," Ganesh said, "We're busy. Can't you go home?"

"I just need a word in private," Parliament insisted.

"I'm sorry miss Parliament but we haven't the time," Ganesh said strongly, (the Doctor had left by now) Ganesh turned to Roseluck. "I'm going to have to leave you with security."

"I'll watch her," Parliament said, "Let me of some use. C'mon." She and Roseluck walked out into the entrance hall, when they reached an area with fewer guards, Parliament dropped her voice to a whisper.

"This friend of yours, he's an expert right?"

"Why do you want to know?" asked Roseluck. Parliament's eyes filled with tears and she started to cry.

* * *

In the briefing room, the Doctor had to take a seat in the back. There was a pamphlet on the seat of information related to the crash/recent alien trouble. He scanned the little booklet. General March and Mr. Green, who were leading the briefing, did the same.

"Now, Mares and Gentle-colts," began March, "If I could have your attention please. As you can see from the summaries in front of you, the ship had one porcine pilot."

"Of course the really interesting bit happened three days ago," the Doctor said interrupting whatever March had planned to say, "See, filed away under any other business. The North Sea, a satellite detected a signal, a little blip of radiation, at one hundred fathoms, like there's something down there." He got up from his seat and began to pace the room, everypony else simply watched; they were all thinking "what?"

"You were just about to investigate and the next thing you know, this happens. Spaceships, pigs, massive diversion. Form what?"

* * *

Roseluck stared at the skin. Her face was one of disgust, Parliament was explaining what happened.

"They turned the body into a suit. A disguise for the thing inside!" She almost started to cry again.

"It's okay," Roseluck said, "I believe you. It's definitely alien." She galloped to the fireplace and began checking for switches. "They must have some serious technology behind this." She checked under the desk on the other side of the room. "If we find it we can-wha!" Roseluck opened the armoire and a stallion can tumbling out, she "eeped!" in surprise.

"Oh my gosh is that the, the," Roseluck couldn't say it. But she was 90% sure that the dead stallion in front of her was the Prime Minister. At that exact moment, Ganesh came storming in.

"Parliament, for Celestia's sake this has gone beyond a joke. You can't just- by Luna's moon! That's the Prime Minister!" Ganesh looked from Roseluck, to the minister, Parliament, minister. Behind them, the door closed. Everypony whirled around, it was Tricky Truth, she was smirking.

"Oh my!" she said sarcastically, "Has somepony been naughty?"

"That's impossible," Ganesh stuttered, staring at the Prime Minister, "He left this afternoon. The Prime Minister left Downing Street he was driven away!"

"And who told you that hmm?" asked Tricky Truth, smirking, "Me." She reached up to her forehead and pushed back her bangs, revealing the zipper. Parliament grabbed hold of Roseluck in fear. As the zipper was opened, blue light flooded out, and the alien started to come out of its skin suit.

* * *

Lilly-luck explained once more how the blue-box that Roseluck had called a Tardis worked.

"It w-was bigger on the inside," she said again, "And don't ask me if I know how it works 'cos I don't. What do I know about spaceships?" She was in the kitchen prepping coffee for the 'police officer' who'd stuck around.

"That's what worries me," the 'officer' said, "You see, this stallion is classified as trouble. Which means anypony associated with him is trouble. And that's my job." He removed his police hat and reached up for the zipper, "Eliminating trouble." Lilly looked round, though the open door came lots of bright blue light. She tip-hoofed around to get a look, and just as the light died away, she saw it.

"AGH!"

* * *

"If aliens fake an alien crash what do they get?" asked the Doctor to the other alien experts, and after a moment, he figured it out.

"Us, they get us. It's not a diversion, it's a trap. This is all about us. Alien experts. The only ponies with knowledge how to fight them gathered in one room." behind him, Green Belt let out a pretty loud fart. The Doctor turned around, "Excuse me, do you mind not farting while I'm saving the world?"

"Would you rather silent but deadly?" asked Green smirking. General March reached up and removed his cap, tossing it onto the desk, and then he grabbed the zipper. Everypony watched, either awestruck or scared stiff, as General March pulled of the top of his head and removed the skin everypony thought to be real. The thing that had hid inside General March stood about eight feet high, it had long claws, empty black eyes and, faces we humans would describe as baby-ish.

"We are the Slitheen," the creature hissed. Prime Minister Green flipped the case off something on his desk, it was a big red button.

"Thank you for wearing your ID cards," he said placing a hoof on the button, "They'll help to identify the bodies." He pressed the button and fields of blue lightning sprung out of everypony's ID card electrocuting the wearers, including the Doctor.

_To be continued in World War Two…_

**Me: Okay, yes, first cliffhanger of the series and certainly not the last. Just wait till next Saturday (or maybe Friday) and we'll be able to see what happens. Oh, and I'm probably one of the few who noticed this: 9th Doctor is the Code Nine. O_O WHAT?  
**

**Blah blah blah, Hasbro owns Celestia, Luna, Ponyville, Equestria and stuff like that. BBC owns The Tardis, the Doctor, the Slitheen, and other sci-fi stuff. I only own the idea and new names. A Bro-hoof to all my Followers and reviewers! /)(\**


	5. Episode 5, World War Two

Doctor Whooves

_World War Two_

**Continuing right from where we left off last time, we go on to see how the family of aliens try to blow up Gaia! Good luck Doctor!**

The room was lit by lightning. Lightning coming from teeny tiny bits of paper that all but two creatures in the room were wearing. The ID cards were killing, and had already killed, most of the Alien Experts of Equestria. All except for one, the Doctor. Course it was painful, he was being consistently shocked by lightning, but he mustered the strength and ripped the ID card off. The so called Slitheen creature and Prime Minister Green Belt stared in shock as the Time-Pony got back onto his hooves all while clutching the sparking paper between his teeth.

"Deadly to ponies maybe," he hissed before throwing it at the Slitheen. It landed directly onto the odd little black collar it was wearing, and instead of just electrocuting the alien, it electrocuted Green Belt, the fake politician, as well. The Doctor took a quick deep breath to steady himself, then galloped out of there as fast as his four hooves would allow.

* * *

Elsewhere in 10 Downing Street, the alien who'd disguised herself as Tricky Truth had Ganesh pinned to the wall and was proceeding to strangle him. Then the blue electricity that had zapped Green and March enveloped her. She dropped Ganesh. The electricity had given the two ponies who she was about to kill (Roseluck and Parliament) a chance to gallop out of there as fast as they could. But as soon as they left, Parliament stopped.

"The Emergency Protocols!" she cried, "We need them!"

* * *

Lilly-luck, back in her flat, cornered in her kitchen by a massive green alien, was screaming her head off. The alien reached a claw in the air, preparing to strike, when blue lightning sparked out of the black collar and froze it in place. Gear, who'd been making his way slowly home, heard the screaming and dashed into the flat. He followed the sounds and saw Lilly cornered by an alien.

Gear grabbed a chair and broke it over the alien's head, that pushed it into the wall/counter giving Lilly enough room to crawl out. When she had, she and Gear got out of there and made for the stairs.

* * *

The Doctor skidded around a corner and saw the most heavily armed guards in the building.

"Oi!" he called getting their attention, "You want aliens? You've got them, they're in Downing Street! Come on then!" and he turned running back to the Briefing room with a whole squadron of soldiers following. They burst through the door, and instead of seeing a large green alien, they saw only General March and Mr. Green looking quite alarmed.

"Where have you been?" demanded Green, "I called for help, I sounded the alarm, there was this lightning, electricity, and they all collapsed!"

"They're all dead," reported one of the soldiers after checking for a pulse.

"That's what I'm saying!" Green pointed at the Doctor, "He did it! That stallion there!"

"I think you will find the Prime Minister is an alien in disguise." Everypony looked at him like he was crazy, the Doctor sighed.

"That's never going to work is it?" he asked an officer next to him.

"No."

"Fair enough." And cue running, again. The Doctor bolted out of there with half the Hoofdon Guard on his tail. He turned left and found the other half of the Hoofdon guard waiting for him. The two groups merged and pressed the Doctor up against the wall. For the second time in that 24-hour period, a huge number of spears and loaded crossbows were aimed right at the Doctor's face. General March pushed through the soldiers.

"Under Jurisdiction of the Emergency Protocols, I authorize you to execute this stallion!" he roared.

"Well, now yes, you see, uh," the Doctor stammered, "The thing is,if I was you, if I was going to execute somepony by backing them against a wall, between you and me, little word of advice," _DING!_ Behind him the elevator door opened. "Don't do it against the lift." The Doctor took one step back, scanned the elevator panel with his Sonic, and the door closed.

* * *

Parliament ran back into the Cabinet Room, but screamed and ran back out because the alien creature was free from the electricity. She galloped back to Roseluck and they both ran. The Slitheen was following not too far behind. They raced up to the third floor hoping to lose it on the stairs, no luck.

Upstairs, they just happened to race past the lift. _DING!_ It opened just as the Slitheen was passing by, the Doctor waved hello and the doors closed again. Roseluck and Parliament took the brief distraction and quickly dashed into a room. In the room, there was a large sofa with a brown drink cabinet behind it. By the window on the wall parallel to the door, a screen blocked out the window to invoke privacy for ponies behind it.

Parliament dashed behind the screen and Roseluck crouched down behind the couch. The door opened and "Tricky Truth" alien walked in.

"Oh such fun," she murmured, her voice sounding a little bit… Auto-tuned. "Little ponies, where are you? Sweet little dears, come to me. Let me kiss you better, kiss you with my big green lips." Roseluck wasted no time moving to a new hiding place, behind the curtains.

* * *

On the first floor, Green and March were preparing to hunt. But it's not like any other ponies knew that.

"The upper floors are under quarantine, you will stay where you are," March ordered, "You will disregard any previous orders and take all commands directly from me." _DING! _The lift opened, March and Green stepped inside.

"Mister Green sir, I'm sorry but you've got to come with me. We should evacuate the entire building," the Soldier said.

"Sergeant, have you read the Emergency Protocols?" asked Green, the Sergeant shook his head. "Then don't question me! Seal off Number 10, secure the ground floor, and if the Doctor makes it downstairs, kill on sight!" and the lift doors closed.

Upstairs, on the third floor, The Doctor was trying to make it downstairs. But when he reached the stairwell, an arrow whizzed past his head just barely missing. Okay, stairs weren't going to work. He turned around and ran back to the lift, which opened just as he reached it. The Doctor ducked behind the corner as two more Slitheen walked out.

"It does us good to hunt," one of them said sounding like Mr. Green, "Purifies the blood."

"We'll keep this floor quarantines as our last hunting ground before the final phase," said the other, who must've been General March.

* * *

Roseluck's nerves were just starting to pop, and it didn't help when to more Slitheen creatures walked into the room.

"My brothers," said 'Truth'.

"Happy hunting?" asked 'Green'. (Neither trapped pony knew that the other two were Green and March)

"It's wonderful," 'Truth' crowed, "The more you prolong it, the more they stink."

"Sweat and fear," 'March' replied, "I can smell and old girl. Stale bird and brittle bones." Behind the cover, Parliament was doing her best not to swear at the Slitheen for calling her old.

"And a ripe youngster," 'Truth' said, walking close to where Roseluck as hidden, "All hormones and adrenaline. Fresh enough to bend before she snaps!" 'Truth' pulled back the curtain, Roseluck screamed. Parliament leapt out from behind the screen and hovered in the air. (I bet you forgot she was a Pegasus yeah?)

"No! Take me first!" she cried, "Take me first!" _SLAM!_ The door flew open, and the Doctor ran in with a fire extinguisher. With the sprayer between his teeth, he flipped the switch and began spraying the two newer Slitheen in white CO2 foam.

"Out with me!" he cried. Roseluck grabbed the curtains off their hook and threw the whole thing onto 'Tricky Truth' who squealed like a pig. Parliament flew over the Slitheen and landed next to the Doctor.

"Who the hell are you?" he asked through a mouthful of sprayer.

"Parliament, MP for Clouds-dale."

"Nice to meet you."

"Likewise." The extinguisher made a feeble spluttering sound and ran out of foam. He dropped the canister and they started running again.

"We need to head to the Cabinet Room," The Doctor explained.

"The Emergency Protocols are in there," Parliament chimed, "They give instructions on what to do in case of aliens."

"Parliament, I like you," the Doctor said as they rounded a corner and dashed into the Cabinet Room. Behind them the Slitheen crashed through the giant oak doors protecting the outer office. Thinking fast, the Doctor grabbed a bottle of something off the side table, pulled out his sonic screwdriver, and held it to the glass.

"One more move and my sonic device will triplicate the flammability of this alcohol," he said, "Whoof, we all go up. So back off." The Slitheen stopped advancing.

"Right then, question time. Who exactly are the Slitheen?"

"They're aliens," answered Parliament.

"Yeah, I got that, thanks," the Doctor said sarcastically.

"Who are you if not a pony?" asked Slitheen Green.

"Who's not a pony?" asked Parliament.

"He's not a pony," replied Roseluck.

"He's not a pony?"

"Can I have a bit of a hush?" asked the Doctor.

"Sorry," they said in unison.

"So, Slitheen, what's the plan?"

"But he's got a northern accent."

"Lots of planets have a north."

"I said hush," he turned back to the Slitheen, "Come on then, you've got a spaceship hidden in the North Sea. It's transmitting a signal. You've murdered your way to the top of government. What for? Invasion?"

"Why would we invade this stupid planet?" asked Slitheen March.

"Then something's brought the Slitheen race here, what is it?"

"The Slitheen race? Slitheen isn't our species, it's our surname," Slitheen Green explained, "Jocrassa Fel Fotch Pasameer-Day-Slitheen at your service."

"Oh, so you're family."

"A family business."

"Then you're out to make a profit. How can you do that on such a stupid planet?" asked the Doctor. The Slitheen looked at each other, they obviously didn't have a reply.

"Uh, excuse me," asked SLitheen March, "Your device will do what? Triplicate the flammability?"

"Is that what I said?"

"You're making it up!"

"Oh well, nice try," he passed Parliament the bottle, "Parliament, have a drink. I think you're going to need it."

"You pass it to the left first," Parliament replied. The Doctor held the bottle to Roseluck who took it and set it down.

"Now we can end the hunt with a slaughter," Slitheen March hissed.

"Don't you think we should run?" asked Roseluck as the Slitheen began to advance.

"Fascinating history Downing Street," the Doctor said, oblivious to everypony else, "Three thousand years ago this was marshland. 105 it was occupied by a Mister Chicken. He was a nice guy. 869 this was the Cabinet Room. IF the Cabinet's in session and danger, these are about the four most safe walls in the whole of Equestria. End of lesson." He reached over and pressed a practically hidden button on the wall. Large steel walls moved in and covered the doorway and the windows.

"Installed in 991," the Doctor stated, "Three inches of steel lining every single wall. They'll never get in."

"Then how do we get out?" asked Roseluck. The Doctor looked up at the ceiling, then at the walls and windows, "Ah."

* * *

_ Radio transmission:_

_ And there's still no word from inside Downing Street, though we are getting word about some new arrivals. There's the group Captain Tennant of the RAF (royal air force), though why he's been summoned we have no idea. There's Evil Rains, secretary for the Trottish parliament. And, this is incredibly unusual, Tidal Wave, Chairman of the North Sea Boating Club. Quite what connects these ponies, we have no idea._

And I will add, that the one thing that connects them is that they're all just a bit larger than the average pony. I wonder why...

* * *

Tricky Truth waited in the lobby of 10 Downing Street, she greeted each new arrival like they were family, explaining that they were meeting upstairs. General March was also doing some explaining.

"Sergeant, now that the Doctor's been neutralized, the upper floors are out of bounds to everypony," he ordered.

"Then who are they?" asked the Sergeant, referring to the newcomers.

"Need to know sergeant, need to know. I want you to liaise with Communications. The acting Prime Minister will be making a public address. He will speak to the nations of the world." The Sergeant nodded, then turned around to relay the message.

* * *

"Got anything stronger?" asked Lilly-luck nervously as she paced in Gear's kitchen.

"No chance," Gear replied pouring two cups of tea, "I've seen you when you've had a few. This ain't time for a conga." Lilly stopped pacing and sat on the floor.

"We've got to tell somepony," she said.

"Who do we trust?" asked Gear, "For all we know, they've all got a big bog monster inside them. This is what he does Lill, that Doctor bloke. Everywhere he goes, death and destruction, and now Roseluck is trapped in the middle of it."

"Has he got a big green thing inside him?" asked Lilly-luck nervously.

"I wouldn't put it past him," Gear replied, "But like it or not, he's the only pony who knows how to fight these things."

"I thought I was going to die," Lilly said, she was getting all choked up. She started to cry, Gear looked at her, and leaned over to give her a quick awkward hug.

"Come on Lilly, quite crying," Gear said patting her on the shoulder, "No pony's going to look for you here. Especially since you hate me."

"You saved my life," Lilly said, a hint of gratitude in her voice, "Gosh that's embarrassing."

"You're telling me."

"He wanted me dead. And he's still out there," Lilly looked out the door, "That police-pony, that thing."

That police-pony thing, whose name was supposedly Silver Badge, was on the hunt for Lilly-luck. Right at that very moment, Silver Badge was sending the officers who weren't helping the search for Mrs. Luck back to the station. Let the hunt begin.

* * *

In the Cabinet Room, it took both the Doctor and Parliament to move the dead bodies of Ganesh and the Prime Minister into the closet.

"What was his name?" asked the Doctor.

"Who?"

"This one, the secretary or whatever he was called."

"I don't know," Parliament replied, "I talked to him, bought him coffee, I never asked his name." The Doctor looked at Ganesh.

"Sorry." He got back to his hooves and walked out of the closet, "Right, what have we got? Any terminals, anything?"

"Nope," Roseluck replied after checking under all of the side desks and behind the armoires and stuff. "This place is antique. What I don't get is, when they killed the Prime Minister, why didn't they use him as a disguise?"

"He's too slim," the Doctor replied checking a 'barred' window, "They're big old beasts. They need to fit inside big ponies."

"But Slitheen are like, eight feet tall," Roseluck assumed, "How do they fit inside."

"That's the device around their necks, compression field. Literally shrinks them down a size. That's why there's all the gas, it's a big exchange."

"Wish I had a compression field, I could fit a size smaller," Roseluck mused.

"Excuse me, ponies are dead!" Parliament said shocked at the young mare's audacity, "This is not the time for making jokes."

"Sorry, you get used to this stuff when you travel with 'im."

"Well that's an odd friendship."

"Parliament, I've heard that name before," The Doctor said suddenly, "Parliament, you're not famous or anything?"

"Oh hardly," Parliament replied.

"Rings a bell, Parliamnt?"

"Lifelong back bencher I'm afraid," Parliament replied, looking once more through the Emergency Protocols. "Oh confound it, the Protocols are redundant. They list the ponies who can help and they're all dead downstairs."

"Hasn't it got like, defense code and things? Could'nt we just launch a chaos cloud at them?"

* * *

Okay, pause the story 'cuz I need to explain what in Celestia's name chaos clouds are. Chaos clouds are basically large, well, thunderstorms of pure chaotic energy and power. They can be used like missiles; Evil Clouds are the Equestrian equivalent of a nuclear bomb. Both bombs do about the same thing, one's just way more powerful.

A normal Chaos Cloud will destroy a building, pony, or structure by overloading the objects with energy. Yes there are enchantments that can be used to block this but only very powerful unicorns can do those spells. Or rooms made of very thick steel and iron can block out the energy. Now, on with the argument between Parliament and Roseluck on the Emergency Protocols.

* * *

"You're a very violent young mare," Parliament noted.

"I'm serious! We could."

"Well, there's nothing like that in here," Parliament sighed, "Evil cloud strikes do require a code, yes, but it's kept secret by the Princesses."

"Say that again," the Doctor said, pausing his search to listen.

"What, about the codes?"

"Anything, all of it."

"Well, nopony can gain access to Chaotic weapons without a Special Resolution from the leaders of Equestria. Is it important?" asked Parliament.

"Everything's important."

"If only we knew what the Slitheen wanted," Parliament said thinking hard, "Listen to me, I'm saying Slitheen as if it's normal."

"What do they want though?" asked Roseluck, pacing to help her think.

"Well they're just one family, so it's not an invasion. They don't want a Slitheen world, they're out to make a profit," the Doctor rambled, "That means they want to use something. Something here on Gaia. Some kind of asset."

"Like what?" asked Parliament, "Gold? Oil? Water?"

"You're very good at this."

"Thank you." Roseluck pulled out her cellphone, hey, while she's trapped in a room with nothing to do, might as well check in on her friends. Parliament stared at the little device.

"What is that?" she asked puzzled.

"Oh, it's a uh, uh," Roseluck looked the Doctor for help, he mouthed "Super phone."

"It's a super phone," she said, "it can make calls from anywhere."

"Then we can call for help!" Parliament cried, "One of you must have contacts."

"Yeah I do," the Doctor replied, "But they're all dead downstairs." Roseluck typed in the number for Gear's flat, the dial tone rang twice before Gear picked it up with a "_Hello?"_

"Hey Gear, it's me Roseluck. How're you?"

_"Rosleuck! Oh thank Celestia you're alright!"_

"Gear what happened?"

_"A Big green alien thing tried to kill Lilly."_

"What? Is she okay? Don't put her on. What did it look like?"

_"Like a proper alien, all stinking, wet and disgusting. And more to the point, it wanted to kill us!_" Roseluck moved the phone away from her ear and covered the mike, "Doctor, a Slitheen just tried to kill my mum and Gear." The Doctor walked over and took the phone.

"Is that Gear? Don't talk, just shut up and go to your computer."

* * *

Yeah, yeah, I get it. Computers in Equestria. When did that happen? Well, to clarify, TVs, phones, and computers were around the whole time, just not very advanced or very popular. Ponies preferred using things they understood, like magic and radios instead of weird machines with moving pictures.

Gear has a computer, but only because he needed an extra safe place to store all his information that he found on the Doctor. Aaand so he could check out the new "websites".

* * *

"_This is him, and why should I?"_

"Because, Gear the Idiot, I might just choke before finishing this sentence but, I need you."

_"'Kay, what do you need?"_

* * *

_(italics= in 10 Downing)_

On the other end of that phone line, Gear and Lilly-luck were starting up Gear's hulk of a computer. The Doctor was instructing them over the phone which website to go to, mainly the ERAD website. Where all the alien information was stored.

"It says we need a password." _The Doctor pressed the speaker phone button on Roseluck's cell and set it on the table._

_ "Say that again?"_

"It's asking for a password," Gear repeated.

_"Buffalo, two Fs one L."_

"So. What's the website?" asked Lilly joining the little escapade.

"All the secret information known to pony-kind," Gear explained as he typed in the password, "See, they've known about aliens for years, they just kept us in the dark."

"_Gear you were born in the dark," said the Doctor._

_ "Leave him alone," Roseluck said a bit annoyed._

"Thank you," Gear replied sarcastically, "Password again."

_"Just repeat it every time." _Gear handed the phone to Lilly.

_"Clockwork's Tower, why did the Slitheen go and hit the tower?" asked the Doctor thinking hard._

_ "You said to gather the experts," Parliament added, "To kill them."_

_ "That lot would've gathered for a weather balloon. You don't need to crash land in the middle of Hoofdon."_

_ "The Slitheen are hiding, but they put the planet on Red alert," Roseluck noted, "What would they do that for?"_

"Oh listen to her," Lilly groaned.

_"At least I'm trying," Rosleuck protested._

"Well I've got a question if you don't mind," Lilly said, "Since that stallion trotted into our lives I have been attacked in the streets. I have had creatures from the pits of Tartarus in my own living room, and my daughter disappear off the face of the planet!"

"_I told you what happened."_

"I'm talking to him. 'Cos I've seen this life of yours, Doctor. And maybe you get off on it, and maybe you think it's all clever and smart, but you tell me." Lilly paused, "Is my daughter safe?"

_"I'm fine," Roseluck said to her mother over the line. The Doctor's looked seemed to get darker and darker as Lilly-luck continued._

"Will she always be safe? Can you promise me that?" asked Lilly, sounding more like begging than just asking. Gear took the phone back, "We're in."

_The Doctor's dark mood lifted immediately and he sprang back into action mode._

_ "Now then, on the top left, there's an icon. Like a target, click it," he instructed. _Gear did it, the tab opened and a sort of odd sound started playing, a sound wave diagram called an oscilloscope appeared on the screen.

"What is it?" asked Gear.

_"The Slitheen have got a spaceship in the North Sea and it's transmitting that signal," the Doctor explained, "Now hush, let me work out what it's saying." Everypony became silent just listening to the weird noise._

"He'll have to answer me one day," Lilly-luck grumbled. Gear shushed her.

_"It's some sort of message," said the Doctor._

_ "What's it say?" asked Roseluck._

_ "Don't know, it's on a loop, keeps repeating." __**BUZZ!**__ Gear's doorbell rang loud and clear through the phone._

_ "SHH!"_

"That's not me," Gear said defending himself. "Go see who it is."

"It's three o'clock in the morning," Lilly complained.

"Well go and tell them that."

_"It's beaming out into space, who's it for?_"

Lilly stomped out of Gear's room and into the front hall.

"Al right alright!" she called, "Don't get your tail in a twist." She opened the door, outside was the police constable/alien thing.

"Lilly-luck," he greeted with an evil smile. Lilly slammed the door shut and locked it. She galloped back into the bedroom.

"It's him!" she cried panicked, "It's the thing, it's the Slikeen!"

"They've found us," Gear said into the phone.

_"Gear I need that signal," the Doctor demanded._

_ "Never mind the signal," Roseluck countered, "Get out! Just get out!"_ Gear picked up the closest thing he could that was a weapon, a small wooden baseball bat.

_"Get out!"_

"We can't, it's by the front door," Gear said readying the bat. They ran out into the kitchen and (pulling another phone off so as to continue the conversation) readied for the alien attack. Blue light seeped around the door frame.

"It's unmasking," Gear said panicked.

_"There's got to be some way of stopping them!" Parliament cried, "You're supposed to be the expert, think of something!"_

_ "I'm trying!"_ The Slitheen had begun to open the door like a can, using its claws to saw it around the edge.

"I'll take it on Lilly," Gear said, "You just run. Don't look back, just run." The door splintered and cracked, the Slitheen began smashing it further, forcing its way into the flat. _Roseluck looked at the Doctor, "That's my mother."_

_ "Right, if we're going to find their weakness, we need to know which planet they're from," the Doctor said, "Which planet? Just judging by their basic shape that narrows it down to five thousand planets within traveling distance. What do we know about them? Information!"_

_ "They're green!" Roseluck supplied._

_ "Narrows it down!"_

_ "Good sense of smell."_

_ "Narrows it down."_

_ "Can smell adrenaline."_

_ "Narrows it down."_

_ "The pig technology!" Parliament added._

_ "Narrows it down."_

_ "The spaceship, you said it was a slipstream engine?"_

_ "Narrows it down."_

"I hate to interrupt, but it's getting in!" Gear cried as the door came crashing down.

_"They hunt like it's a ritual."_

_ "Narrows it down!"_

_ "Wait a minute," Parliament said, "Did you notice, when they fart, if you'll pardon the word, it doesn't smell like a fart, pardon the word, it's something else."_

_ "Bad breath!" Roseluck cried._

_ "Calcium decay!" the Doctor yelled triumphantly, "Now that narrows it down!"_

_ "We're getting there mum!"_

"Too late!" Gear said into the phone as they were backed into the kitchen. Lilly shoved a chair under the door knob in an effort to blockade it.

_"Calcium phosphate, organic calcium, living calcium. Creatures made of living calcium. What else, Hyphenated surname. Yes! That narrows it down to one planet, Raxicoricofallapatorius!" the Doctor crowed._

"Oh yeah great, we can send 'em a letter!" Gear said as he and Lilly pressed the door shut.

"_Get into the kitchen!" the Doctor instructed._

"Already there," Lilly answered.

_"Calcium, weakened by the compression field, acetic acid! Vinegar!"_

_ "Just like Hannibal!" Parliament chimed._

_ "Just like Hannibal. Gear, have you got any vinegar?"_

"How should I know?"

_"It's your kitchen!"_

_ "Cupboard by the sink, middle shelf," Roseluck supplied. _Lilly took the phone, "What do you need?"

"_Anything with vinegar!"_ She pulled a giant measuring cup out of the sink and tore open the cupboard. Lilly began pulling out jars of stuff like pickles and pickled eggs. She struggled to open the jars but she got their contents into the cup. She had just emptied a jar of sweet gherkins when the barricade broke way and the Slitheen walked in. Lilly stepped around Gear and threw the cup and all its contents over the Slitheen.

The alien stopped, it blinked in surprise, farted, then exploded redecorating Gear's kitchen with green slimy chunks. Lilly and Gear wiped the gunk out of their eyes then sighed in relief. _The ponies stuck at Downing Street did the same._

_ "Hannibal?" asked Roseluck, confused by the reference._

_ "Hannibal crossed the mountains, by dissolving boulders, with vinegar," Parliament replied._

_ "Well there you go then," Roseluck said, smiling._

* * *

The Prime Minister's radio broadcast to the world:

"Mares and Gentle-colts, nations of the world, ponies, griffons, zebras, inhabitants of this world. The greatest experts in extra-terrestrial events came here to 10 Downing tonight. They gathered in the common cause, but the news I bring you is grave indeed.

"The experts are dead, murdered right in front of me by alien hooves. Creatures of Gaia, heed my words, these visitors do not come in peace."

_ "Listen to this!" Gear said putting a phone to the radio so the Doctor, Parliament, and Roseluck could hear it._

"Our inspectors have searched the sky above our heads, and they have found massive weapons of destruction, capable of being deployed within forty-five seconds. Our technicians and magic specialists can baffle the probes, but not for long. We are facing obliteration, unless we strike first.

"Equestria stands directly beneath the belly of the mother ship. I beg of the princesses, pass an emergency resolution. Give us the codes, a Chaos strike at the heart of the beast is our only chance of survival. Because from this moment on, it is my solemn duty to inform you, our planet is at war."

* * *

"He's making it up," the Doctor stated, "There's no weapons up there, there's no threat. He just invented it."

"Do you think they'll believe him?" inquired Parliament.

"They did last time," Roseluck reminded them.

"That's why the Slitheen went for spectacle," the Doctor muttered, "They want the whole world panicking, because you lot get scared and you lash out."

"They release the defence code."

"And the Slitheen go Chaotic."

"But why?" asked Parliament. The Doctor walked over to the door and opened the metal shutters. Three Slitheen aliens were outside.

"You get the code, release the clouds, but not into space because there's nothing there," the Doctor said crossly, "You attack every other country on Gaia. They retaliate, war begins, World War Two." Tricky Truth, still in her pony skin, pushed through the aliens.

"And we can sit through it in our spaceship waiting in the Thames," she answered smugly, "Not crashed, just parked. And only two minutes away."

"But you'll destroy the planet, this beautiful planet," Parliament protested, "What for?"

"Profit," the Doctor answered, "That's what the signal into space is, an advertisement."

"The sale of the century," Truth mused, "We reduce Gaia into molten slag and sell it, piece by piece. Radioactive chunks capable of powering every cut-price star liner and budget cargo ship." Her cheery mood dropped, "There's a recession out there Doctor. Ponies are buying cheap. This rock becomes raw fuel."

"At the cost of over five billion lives."

"Bargain."

"I give you a choice," the Doctor offered, "Leave this planet or I'll stop you."

"What? You? Trapped in your box?"

"Yes, me." He reached over an pressed the button, closing the steel shutters on Tricky Truth's face.

* * *

The next morning, or only a few hours later, a radio broadcast went out at around eight AM:

_ Yesterday saw the start of a brand new world. Today might see it end. Everypony has gone home; they're just waiting for the Princess's decision. The decision will be known any moment, and when the codes are released, Gaia's first interplanetary war begins._

_ Prepare yourselves everypony, this is new to us all. What the future will bring is invisible to us. I wish all of you good luck._

* * *

"_All right Doctor, I'm not saying I trust you, but there has to be something you can do."_ Lilly-luck said through the phone. The Doctor was sitting against the wall, deep in thought. Roseluck was hovering over the phone, constantly listening. Parliament paced by the door.

"If we could ferment the drink, we could make acetic acid," she suggested. When nopony agreed, the idea was dropped.

"Gear, any luck?" asked Roseluck.

"_There's loads of emergency numbers, but their all on voicemail."_

"Voicemail dooms us all," Parliament complained.

"If we could just get out of here!" Roseluck cried in anxiety.

"There's a way out." Roseluck turned and looked at the Doctor, whose sudden outburst had surprised her.

"What?"

"There's always been a way out," he continued getting to his hooves.

"The why don't we use it?" asked Roseluck. The Doctor walked over and spoke directly to Lilly-luck, "Because I can't guarantee your daughter's safety."

_"Don't you dare. Whatever it is don't you dare!"_

"That's the thing, if I don't dare, everypony dies."

"Do it," Rosluck said.

"You don't even know what it is and you'd just let me do it?"

"Yeah."

"_Please don't Doctor," _Lilly begged, "_She's my daughter, she's just a kid!"_

"Do you think I don't know that?" asked the Doctor sarcastically, "Because this is my life Lilly. It's not fun, it's not smart, it's just standing up and making a decision because nopony else will."

"Then what're you waiting for?" asked Roseluck

"I could save the world but lose you."

"Except it's not your decision Doctor," Parliament interrupted, "It's mine."

_"And who the hell are you?"_ demanded Lilly.

"Parliament, MP for Clouds-dale. The only elected representative in this room, chosen by ponies, for ponies. And on behalf of all the ponies in this city, I command you. Do it."

"Right then," the Doctor said, grabbing the Emergency Protocols.

"How do we get out?" asked Roseluck.

"We don't," the Doctor replied, "We stay here. Gear, use the Buffalo password. It overrides everything."

_"What're you doing?" _asked Lilly.

_"Hacking into the Chaos Cloud Department,"_ Gear replied, "_We're in. Here we go, Hoofdon Chaos Cloud Factory."_

"Good, we're going to need one of the clouds."

_ "We can't use them though! We don't have the codes."_

"Not one of those, all we need's an ordinary Chaos Cloud. What's the first category?"

_"Uh, RM-B2. (Rain sized, Medium intensity, model B2)"_

"That's the one, select."

* * *

"I could stop you," Lilly said, she stood behind Gear watching him.

"Then do it," Gear said. Lilly just stood there.

"_You ready for this?" _ asked the Doctor.

"Yeah," Gear replied, going back to work.

"_Gear the idiot, the world is in your hooves. Fire."_ Gear clicked the mouse and activated the cloud. Sending it straight for 10 Downing Street.

* * *

"How solid are these walls?" asked Parliament only seconds after Gear had activated the cloud.

"Not solid enough," the Doctor replied.

"Alright," Roseluck said, "Now I'm making a decision." She ran over to the closet, the same one Parliament had hidden in and the same one where the late Prime Minister's body sat.

"I'm not going to die. We're going to ride this one out. It's like they say about earthquakes, you can survive them by standing in a doorway," said Roseluck testing the walls, "This cupboard's small so it's strong. Come and help me!" Parliament flew over the table and into the closet with Roseluck, together they started pulling stuff out.

Right at that moment, a crazy colorful and flashy cloud could be seen over the city of Hoofdon. It was being driven by two Pegasus, they were skeptical about taken it to 10 Downing but, orders from the MOD couldn't be ignored.

_"It's on radar," _Gear said warningly. The Doctor turned off speaker phone and picked up the cell, "_They're trying to stop it."_

"Well then cancel it out," the Doctor ordered helping Roseluck and Parliament.

"_Doing it now."_

"Good boy."

"_Interception signal neutralized."_

* * *

"What do you mean there's a Cloud coming?" demanded the Sergeant. The guard simply pointed outside, the Sergeant could clearly see the cloud on the horizon. He ran back into the hall and hit the fire alarm.

"Everypony out now! Now!" he yelled urgently.

Upstairs in 10 Downing, the SLitheen had gathered into the PM office and were waiting for the codes to come by phone. The call would be coming any minute. Then an incredibly annoying alarm began to ring, echoing all through the building

"What the hell is that for?" asked Slitheen Green angrily. The Sergeant burst in.

"Sir there's a chaos cloud that's-" he saw the Slitheen, "Sorry." Then ran out of there as fast as he could. The aliens began to panic, a chaos cloud was headed for 10 Downing. Outside, ponies were running away from the famous building to avoid getting killed by overcharged chaos energy.

* * *

Roseluck closed the closet door and hunkered down in the corner next to the Doctor and Parliament.

"Here we go," Parliament said nervously, "Nice knowing you both." The whistle of charging energy started loud before the massive _ZAP! _Of Chaos energy shook the building. Seconds later the building exploded, sending pieces of wood and fried Slitheen in all directions. The closet bunker our heroes were trapped in flipped over once as it fell from the second story of 10 Downing into the piles of ash and destroyed furniture that was the first floor.

Then it all stopped. The crashing sounds, the rocking of the room, the heat of outer fire on the tiny closet. Roseluck peeked open her eyes, everything was intact. She laughed in triumph, Parliament and the Doctor laughed too, they were alive! They climbed out of the closet and found the outer room in complete disarray. They climbed over the broken table and chairs and over to the door, which fell out the minute it was pushed on.

"We did it," Parliament sighed stepping outside into the early morning sunshine. The Sergeant from earlier came rushing up.

"Are you three alright?" he asked only a little out of breath.

"Parliament, MP Clouds-dale. I want you to contact the Princesses immediately and tell them the crisis is over," Parliament instructed, "Well go on! Tell the news!"

"yes ma'am," the Sergeant stuttered before galloping off.

"Somepony's got on hell of a job sorting this out," Parliament said annoyed, "Oh no! We haven't even got a Prime Minister now!"

"Maybe you should have a go," the Doctor suggested.

"Me?" she scoffed, "I'm only a back bencher."

"I'd vote for you," Roseluck said encouragingly.

"Now don't be silly. Look, I'd better go see if I can help." Parliament took to the air and flew off. (Again, bet you forgot she was a pegasus eh?) And with her leave, the Doctor and Roseluck began to pick their way out of the rubble of 10 Downing Street.

"I thought I knew the name," the Doctor said as they walked down the road, "Parliament, future Prime Minister. Elected for three successive terms, the Architect of Hoofdon's golden age."

"The crisis has passed!" Parliement cried, "Mare and Gentle-colts, I have something to say to you all here today! The pony-race stand tall, proud and undefeated. Celestia bless the Equestrian race!"

* * *

"Parliament, who does she think she is?" scoffed Lilly-luck as she sat down next to her daughter on the sofa. "Look at her taking all the credit. That should be you on there. My daughter saved the world!" Roseluck rolled her eyes, "I think the Doctor helped a bit."

"Alright, him too. You two should be given knighthoods!"

"That's not the way he does things mum," Roseluck said, "No fuss. He just moves on. He's not bad if you give him a chance."

"He's good in a crisis I'll give you that," Lilly admitted.

"Oh now the world has definitely changed, you're saying nice things about him."

"Well I reckon I've got no choice since you're in love with him," Lilly groaned.

"I'm not in love with him," Roseluck insisted.

"What does he eat?" asked Lilly.

"How do you mean?"

"I was going to make pie," Lilly explained, "All of us. A proper sit down, 'cos I'm ready to listen. I want to learn about you and him and this new life you lead. Though, I don't know, he's an alien. For all I know he eats weeds and safety pins."

"He'll have pie. You're going to cook for him?" asked Roseluck, snickering at the thought.

"What's wrong with that?" Lilly demanded.

"He's finally met his match."

"You're not too old for a slap you know!" Roseluck smiled at her mum, who got off the couch and went into the kitchen, probably to make tea. She kept on talking about how Roseluck should visit family and make sure everypony knew she was alive, but Roseluck was distracted by her "Super Phone." It had started ringing, the caller ID said it was the Tardis.

"Hello?"

"_Right, it'll just be a couple of hours then we can go," _the Doctor said from the other end.

"You've got a phone?"

"_You think I can travel through space and time and I haven't got a phone? Like I said, couple of hours. I've just got to send out the dispersal." BEEP! "There you go. That's cancelling out the Slitheen's advert in case any bargain hunters turn up."_

"My mother's cooking," said Roseluck nervously.

"_Good, put her on a slow heat and let her simmer,"_ The Doctor replied cheekily.

"She's cooking tea, for us."

"_I don't do that."_

"She wants to get to know you."

"_Tough, I've got better things to do."_

"It's just tea."

"_Not to me it isn't._"

"She's my mother."

"_Well she's not mine."_

"That's not fair."

_ "Well you can stay there if you want, but right now there's a plasma storm brewing in the Horsehead Nebula. Fires are burning ten million miles wide. Fires are burning ten million miles wide, I could fly the Tardis right into the heart of it then ride the shock wave all the way out, hurtle right across the sky and end up anywhere. Your choice."_ Roseluck closed the cellphone, then made up her mind

"Roseluck, I was thinking," Lilly said coming back into the living room, "I've got a bottle of Amaretto from New Year's." She looked around, Roseluck was no longer sitting on the sofa. Lilly checked Roseluck's bedroom, she was stuffing spare clothes, snacks, and general survival gear into a bright orange duffel bag.

"Roseluck?" She turned around and saw her mother standing in the door.

"Don't go sweetheart. Please don't go."

* * *

In the alley behind the apartment building, the colt who had painted "Bad Wolf" the Tardis was scrubbing it off. Gear was sitting on a trashcan a few feet away reading the newspaper. The Tardis door opened and the Doctor came out.

"Good lad," he said shooing the colt, "Graffiti that again and I'll have you. Now beat it." The colt grabbed his bucket and sponge then ran off. The Doctor strolled over to Gear.

"I just went down to the shop," Gear began, "and I was thinking, the whole world's changed. Aliens and spaceships in public. And here it is." He held up the black and white newspaper. The bold headline read "**Alien Hoax**" with a large picture of the Slitheen ship smoking in the Thames.

"How could they do that?" asked Gear, "They saw it!"

"You're just not ready," the Doctor replied with a shrug, "You ponies are perfectly happy to believe in something that's invisible, but if it's staring you in the face, nope, can't see it. There's a scientific explanation for that, you're thick."

"We're just idiots?"

"Well, not all of you."

"Yeah?" The Doctor reached into his jacket and pulled out a hardrive, he handed it to Gear.

"Present for you Gear, that's a virus. Put it online, it'll destroy every reference of me, I'll cease to exist," he explained.

"What do you want that for?" asked Gear.

"Because you're right, I am dangerous. I don't want anypony following me."

"How can you say that and take her with you?" asked Gear, referencing Roseluck who'd just come out of the building with Lilly-luck.

"You could look after her," the Doctor offered, "Come with us."

"I can't. This life of yours, it's just too much. I couldn't do it," Gear glanced over at Roseluck, "Don't tell her I said that." Roseluck and Lilly trotted up, Lilly was listing a bunch of things she'd do so that her daughter wouldn't leave again.

"I'll get a proper job," she said, "I'll work weekend. I'll pass my test and if Blast comes round again I'll say no."

"I'm not leaving because of you," Roseluck said again, "I'm traveling, that's all, and then I'll come back."

"But it's not safe," Lilly protested.

"Mum, if you saw what was out there, you'd never stay home." Roseluck turned away from her mother to the Doctor, she took off the massive orange bag and dropped it on the ground.

"Got enough stuff?" asked the Doctor.

"Last time I stepped up, it was spur of the moment. Now, I'm signing up, you're stuck with me," Roseluck said smiling. She turned to Gear.

"Come with us," she insisted, "There's plenty of room."

"No chance," the Doctor interrupted, "He's a liability, I'm not having him on board."

"We'd be dead without him," Roseluck protested.

"My decision is final." Roseluck sighed and looked at Gear.

"Sorry," she said giving him a quick kiss.

"Good luck yeah?"

"Yeah."

"You still can't promise anything," Lilly-luck said to the Doctor, popping the teeny tiny bubble of good mood that had formed. "What if she gets lost? What if something happens to you Doctor and she's left all alone standing on some moon a million light-years away. How long do I wait then?" she demanded. Roseluck walked over and pushed her mother away from the Doctor.

"Mum, you're forgetting, It's a time machine," Roseluck said, placing her hoof on Lilly's shoulder. "I could go traveling around suns and planets and all the way out to the edge of the universe, and by the time I get back, ten seconds will have passed. Just ten seconds. So stop worrying." Roseluck gave Lilly-luck one last farewell hug. "See you in ten seconds time yeah?" Roseluck turned around, and with the Doctor, went inside the Tardis.

_Vworp, Vworp,_ the Tardis faded away into non-existence. Lilly stared at the spot, counting to ten slowly under her breath. When no sound of a re-materializing Tardis came, her shoulders slumped.

"Ten seconds," she said, walking back to her home. Gear watched her go, then he picked up his newspaper and sat on top of the trashcan once again, maybe they were just a bit late.

_To be continued in Dalek..._

**Me: Second half of the two-part complete. And ready just in time for Comic-con. Hope you lot enjoy it. **  
**Okay, yet another poll is on my profile. I'm not telling you who's name it will decide, or what i'll do with the resuls, just answer it please. Poll closing 5/29/13**.

**I don't own anything MLP related, Hasbro does. And all stuff DW related belong to BBC. **


	6. Episode 6, Dalek

Doctor Whooves

_Dalek_

**Okay, this story happens more than just a few years in the future of Equestria, it happens way in the future. In the show, it was seven years, in this story, it's fifty. So stuff like cell phones, computers, TVs, the internet, their all regular things now.**** Oh, and guns, I'll explain how they work for ponies later.**

Down, about half a mile underground, was a giant room. Plain concrete pillars held up the ceiling, glass cases carrying strange items sat in rows around the whole room. It was a museum, but a museum of what exactly? You wouldn't be able to tell just by walking in, you'd have to ask somepony. But who to ask? Nopony was around; nothing exactly special was going on in the very dimly lit room.

Until, _VWORP, VWORP, VWORP!_ The sound of a rematerializing Tardis began to echo through the room and a strange wind picked up, rustling a few of the hanging exhibits. It, well to put it simply, appeared over by a wall, in an aisle between exhibits. When it had become solid, two ponies stepped out. One was Roseluck, she was wearing her lucky pink and white jacket. The other was our old friend, The Doctor. Both of them seemed on edge.

"So what is it?" asked Roseluck, "What's wrong?"

"Don't know," the Doctor replied, "Some kind of signal drawing the Tardis off course."

"Where are we?" asked Roseluck. She kept looking around, half expecting somepony or something that wanted to kill them to pop out of the shadows any moment.

"Gaia, just outside Fillydelphia, Equestria. About half a mile underground," he answered.

"And when are we?"

"One thousand, fifty five."

"Wow, that's pretty close. I should be... sixty nine?"They looked around; being so dark it was practically impossible to see anything. A few minutes more of searching around in the dark and the Doctor found a light switch. He flipped it on, and row by row, the underground museum was lit up. The glass cases were protecting, wait for it, alien artifacts! Parts from wrecked ships, broken space guns, and parts of burned robots.

"Blimey," Roseluck exclaimed, her eyes wide. "It's a great big museum!"

"An alien museum. Somepony's got a hobby. They must've spent a fortune on this. Chunks of meteorite, moon dust." He pointed to a twisted piece of metal, "That's an engine from the Slitheen ship." They meandered down the row, the Doctor pointed things out and explaining what they were.

"Look at that!" Roseluck exclaimed, "That's a bit of a Slitheen! That's a Slitheen's arm. It's been stuffed."

"Would you look at that."

"What? What is it?" Roseluck asked, whirling around to look.

"An old friend of mine," he was peering through the glass at what looked like, a robot's head. "Well, an old enemy." It looked like a regular pony, just a bit boxier, and it had these things coming out of the metal ears. Like little metal tubes that connected above the head in another smaller box. Where the eyes should've been, were small circles cut into the metal. (you know what it is. don't deny it.)

"The stuff of nightmares reduced to an exhibit," the Doctor muttered, "I'm getting old."

"Is that where the signal's coming from?" asked Roseluck.

"No, it's stone dead. The signal's alive. Something's reaching out, calling for help." The Doctor reached up and touched the glass. _BRIIING BRIIING BRIIING! _ The moment his hoof came into contact with the glass, an intruder alert alarm began to ring loud and clear. And with the sudden alarm, came the sound of running hooves as Roseluck and the Doctor were quickly surrounded by soldiers armed with guns. Not crossbows or swords, but real-live guns like the AK-47.

"If somepony's collecting aliens, that makes you exhibit A," said Roseluck as she stared down the barrel.

**Theme song!**

_"Attention all personnel. Bad Wolf One descending, Bad Wolf One descending."_ A helicopter had arrived. Its passenger, his team of advisors/on-the-go-secretaries, and his squadron of twenty armed guards, swiftly exited the craft and into the facility/museum/base. The passenger, better known as Van Statten to all personnel on the base, was an incredibly rich billionaire. He owned the internet. Supposedly.

Statten had a wild fascination with otherworldly items, such as the arm of a dead Slitheen, and a knack for computer programming. (It was his special talent after all, depicted by a small USB drive) Statten had programmed the whole security matrix for his collection and base. He was totally confident that nothing could override it. Did I mention he was cocky?

"On behalf of all of us, I want to wish a very happy birthday sir," his assistant Polk said, rushing to keep up.

"Don't care," Statten said coldly. "But I do care about those Elements. Somepony get me one of those Elements!" (Elements of Harmony)

"I don't think that's wise sir."

"Thank you so much for you opinion. You're fired, get him out of here." Two guards grabbed Polk roughly by the shoulders.

"Wipe his memory; put him by the road somewhere. Ponyville, Dodge, Applelloosa, somewhere out of the way." As Polk was dragged away, a mare ran up to take his place. She was a Pegasus who has a curly bright pink mane and coat; she wore a black suit vest like the one Statten was wearing. (Basically, a business Pegasus Pinkie Pie.)

"So, which element should I send for?" asked Statten.

"Laughter," she replied quickly.

"For what reason?"

"Laughter is the most fun, sir?" Van Statten stopped walking.

"What's your name?"

"Goddard sir," she replied.

"I like you Goddard," Statten said continuing to walk. "Now where's the kid?"

"Sir! Sir!" 'The kid' said running up, his saddle bags loaded. "I bought ten more artifacts at auction, Mister Van Statten."

"Bring 'em on, let me see 'em," Van Statten said excitedly.

"Sir, with respect there's something more urgent," Goddard said after checking her com-set. "We arrested two intruders fifty three floors down. We don't know how they got in."

"I'll tell you how they got in, In-tru-da Window," Statten replied. When Nopony laughed he said it again, this time much louder. The guards and other nearby ponies laughed obediently.

"Okay, bring in these intruders, and tell Simmons I want to visit my little pet," Statten instructed. Goddard stepped away from the precession and activated her com-link.

"Simmons? You'd better give me good news, is it talking?" she asked. On the other line, Simmons was drilling, or at least that's what it sounded like.

_"Not exactly, no."_ Simmons replied, the drilling noise stopped.

"Then what's it doing?" demanded Goddard.

"_Screaming. Is that any good?_"

* * *

Update, or as Van Statten called him 'the kid', pulled the last new artifact he'd bought out of his saddle bag. Update was a unicorn, one who was fairly good with both technology and magic. He'd worked for Statten for a few years now, categorizing artifacts and buying them from auctions all over the country.

Other than his incredibly odd job, he wasn't that unique pony. He wasn't abnormally tall, his red and white hair wasn't super stylish, he didn't even have his cutie mark yet. But Update was usually so busy that he didn't care. Right now he was too busy showing off the newest buys to care.

"And this is the last. Paid eight hundred thousand bits," he said levitating it to Van Statten. The artifact was small, made of a black stone, and in a shape similar shape to a large shark tooth. One side was thicker than the other and had holes in it, channels for something. And right as Van Statten took the strange little object, a group of soldiers escorting two ponies came in.

"What does it do?" asked Statten, turning the object over in his hooves.

"Well do you see the tubes on the side? It must be to channel something, maybe fuel?"

"I really wouldn't hold it like that," one of the newer guests said.

"Shut it," Goddard snapped at the Doctor.

"Really though, that's wrong," he insisted.

"Is it dangerous?" asked Update.

"No it just looks silly," said the Doctor. He reached for the object, behind him ten guns' firing bolts clicked. Van Statten handed the object to the Doctor, who set it upright in one hoof.

"You just need to be, delicate." He stroked the object gently, a high pitched note came out. He did it again and a lower note played.

"It's a musical instrument," Van Statten said.

"And it's a long way from home," said the Doctor, playing again.

"Here, let me try." Statten reached for the object. When he had it once again in his hooves, he tried to play it like the Doctor had, but screeches like claws on a chalk board came out instead of nice whistle-y noises.

"I did say delicate, it reacts to the smallest touch. It needs prescision." Statten tried again, this time, a low but pretty whistle came out instead _scrreeee_.

"Very good. Quite the expert," the Doctor complimented.

"As are you," Satten replied, casually tossing the instrument aside. It landed with a clatter. "Who exactly are you?"

"I'm the Doctor. And who are you?"

"Like you don't know," Statten snapped. "We're hidden away with the most valuable collection of extra-terrestrial artifacts in the world and you just stumbled in by mistake."

"Pretty much sums me up, yeah."

"The question is how did you get in? Fifty three floors down with your little cat burglar accomplice. You're quite the collector yourself, she's rather pretty."

"She's going to buck you if you keep calling her she!" Roseluck said.

"She's from Hoofdon! Hey Tea Time, got you a girlfriend," Statten joked.

"This is Mister Van Statten," Update explained. "He owns the internet."

"Don't be stupid," Roseluck scoffed. "Nopony owns the internet."

"And let's keep the whole world thinking that way, right kids?"

"So you're just about an expert on everything," said the Doctor, "Except the things in your museum. Anything you don't understand you lock up."

"And you claim greater knowledge?"

"I don't need to make claims, I know how good I am."

"And yet, I captured you. Right next to the Cage. What were you doing down there?"

"You tell me."

"The Cage contains my one living specimen."

"And what's that?"

"Like you don't know."

"Show me."

"You want to see it?"

"Blimey, you can smell the testosterone," Roseluck said, interrupting the argument.

"Goddard, inform the Cage, we're heading down. You, Update, watch the filly. Go play polo or whatever. And you, Doctor with no name, come and see my pet."

* * *

It took twenty minutes for a fully functioning high-class elevator to go down fifty-three stories. To the bottom floor, the Cage. Down there, a group of three ponies were working with this "live specimen". One, Simmons, the other two were guards for, just in case situations. If you know what I mean.

"We've tried everything," Van Statten was explaining as he and the others got off of the elevator, "The creature has shielded itself. But there are definitely signs of life inside."

"Inside? Inside what?" asked the Doctor. The room they were in was low, and looked more like a service room than a monitor room for an alien creature. The only signs of that was the wall of computer screens and the giant steel door.

"Welcome back sir," Simmons said when he came out of the actual cage. "I've had to take the power down. The Metaltron is resting."

"Metaltron?"

"Thought of it myself," Statten stated proudly. "Although I'd much prefer to know its real name." Simmons pressed a button beside the door, the metal doors slid open. Simmons removed the protective gloves from his front hooves and handed them to the Doctor.

"Here, you better put these on. The last pony who touched it burst into flame," Simmons warned.

"I won't touch it then," the Doctor said walking into the Cage. The metal doors slid shut behind him.

"Don't open that door until we get a result," Van Statten whispered to Goddard as they watched the live video feed from inside.

Inside, it was very dark, with only a small amount of light coming from around the door. Other than that, a small blue light glowed across the room from where the Doctor stood.

"Look, I'm sorry about this. Mr. Van Statten might think he's clever, but never mind him. I've come to help, I'm the Doctor." The blue light stared at him for a moment.

"Doc, tor?" it asked. Two white lights blinked on either side of the blue light as the Metaltron spoke. The voice of this creature, it was gravelly and mechanic as if run through a broken auto-tune. While foreign to the ponies watching outside, the Doctor found it very, very, familiar.

"Impossible."

"The Doctor?" asked the Metaltron. The room was suddenly lit by fluorescent white lights, revealing the enemy of the Time-Ponies, wrapped in chains.

"Exterminate!" the Dalek cried, "EXTERMINATE!" The Doctor ran over to the door and began to pound on it, "Let me out!"

"Exterminate!"

Outside, Van Statten was marveling at his little pet.

"Sir, it's going to kill him," Goddard said, worried.

"It's talking!" Van Statten said, the equivalent of telling her to shut it.

"You are an enemy of the Daleks!" the Dalek squawked, "You must be destroyed!" It raised the arm supposed to be a gun and… Nothing, no laser, only a sound similar to the one that had come out of the instrument earlier.

"It's not working," the Doctor mumbled staring at the useless device. He started to laugh.

"Fantastic!" he cried literally jumping for joy, "Oh fantastic! Powerless! Look at you, the great space dustbin. How does it feel?"

"Keep away!" the Dalek cried. The Doctor ran up and stood inches away from the eyestalk.

"What for? What're you going to do to me? If you can't kill, then what are you good for, Dalek? What's the point of you? You're nothing! What the hell are you doing here though?"

"I am waiting for orders," the Dalek replied, monotonously.

"What does that mean?" the Doctor demanded, stepping away from the Dalek.

"I am a soldier, I was bred to receive orders."

"Well you're not going to get any, not ever."

"I demand orders!"

"They're never going to come! Your race is dead! You all burned, all of you. Ten million ships on fire. The entire Dalek race wiped out in one second."

"You lie!"

"I watched it happen, I made it happen!"

"You, destroyed us?"

"I had to," the Doctor said, quieter.

"And what of the Time-Ponies?" the Dalek asked.

"Dead, they burned with you. The end of the last great Time War, everypony lost."

"And the coward survived."

"Oh, and I caught your little signal," the Doctor said with mock sympathy, "Help me, poor little thing. But there's no one else coming 'cause there's no one else left!"

"I, am, alone in the universe," the Dalek said.

"Yep."

"So, are, you. We are, the same."

"We're not the same!" the Doctor yelled running up to the Dalek once more, "We're not the same! I'm not-" He stopped, "No wait, maybe we are. You're right, yeah, okay. You've got a point." He strolled over to the Cage regulation machine.

"'Cause I know what to do," the Doctor continued, "I know what should happen. I know what you deserve." He smirked at the Dalek, "Exterminate." Then he pulled a random lever on the controls, electricity sparked along the chains binding the Dalek. It screamed.

"Have pity!" it yelled.

"Why should I?" demanded the Time-Pony, "You never did!" The metal doors opened suddenly and a group of armed guards rushed in. But that didn't stop the Doctor from ramping up the voltage. Van Statten and Simmons ran in. Statten, completely oblivious to the fact that the alien was being killed, ran up to it.

"I saved your life!" he yelled, "Now talk to me! Talk to me!"

"You've got to destroy it!" the Doctor yelled as he was dragged out by a pair of heavily armed guards. Simmons turned the electricity off, the Dalek stopped screaming.

"The last in the universe," Statten marveled. "And now I know your name. Dalek. Speak to me Dalek. I am Van Statten now recognize me!" The Dalek did nothing but lower its eyestalk. It said nothing.

"Make it talk Simmons, whatever it takes."

"Yes sir mister Van Statten."

* * *

"Sorry 'bout the mess. Mister van Statten sort of lets me do my own thing, so long as I deliver the goods," Update explained as he and Roseluck stepped into his "office". The room looked more like a store room closet than a proper office. With random junk like parts of guns or chunks of metal and plastic, crates and boxes of assorted items lay scattered on table tops and the floor. Update had to levitate multiple out of way just to get in, even then it was cramped and uncomfortable.

"What do you think this is?" asked Update, levitating a thick triangular chunk of metal in front of her.

"Uh, a lump of metal?" asked Roseluck.

"Yeah, Yeah, but I think, well, I'm almost certain that it's a hull from a space craft," Update explained, giddily. "The thing is it's all true. All the stuff that the Princesses try to hide, spacecraft's, aliens, visitors from outer space. They really exist!"

"That's amazing," Roseluck said, only a hint of sarcasm.

"I knew it sounds incredible, but I think the universe is teeming with life," Update said excitedly, almost dropping the piece of hull.

"I'm gob-smacked yeah," Roseluck said. "And you do what, sit here and catalogue it?"

"Best job in the world."

"Imagine though," Roseluck thought, and idea forming in her mind, "Imagine if you could go out and see it for real."

"That'd be amazing," Update admitted, "But I don't think it's going to happen in our lifetimes."

"Oh, you never know. Hey, what do you think about those ponies who say they've been inside a spaceship or talked with aliens?"

"I think they're crazy."

_So I can't tell you how I got fifty-three floors underground. Okay, _"Yeah me too. How'd you get to be working for Van Statten?"

"Statten's got agents all over the world looking for geniuses to recruit."

"Oh, riiight, you're a genius."

"Sorry, but yeah. I can't help it, I was born clever." He dropped his voice to a whisper. "When I was eight, I logged onto the MOD defense system and nearly caused World War Two."

"And that's funny is it?"

"Well you should've been there! Just to see them running about. Fantastic!"

"You sound like the Doctor," Roseluck complimented.

"So uh, are you and him…?"

"No, no, we're just friends."

"Good."

"Why is it good?"

"It just is." Roseluck blushed, Update was flirting with her!

"So, wouldn't you rather be downstairs?" she asked trying to change the conversation. "I mean, you've got all these bits and bobs, but Mister Van Statten has a living creature down there."

"Yeah, well I did ask, but he keeps it to himself," Update explained, "Although, if you're a genius, it doesn't take much to patch through the comm. system."

"Let's have a look then." Update opened his computer and began to type rapidly. Roseluck looked over the desk at the computer. Update, once he'd gotten into the security camera system, selected a certain one and zoomed in. Simmons had his back turned and was drilling something into a giant pepper pot, thing.

"It doesn't do anything, the alien," Update explained, "It's weird, and kind of useless. It's just like a giant pepper shaker, thing." Update activated the sounds, instead of hearing just the sound of a drill, there was a sound of weird metallic screaming.

"It's being tortured!" Roseluck cried, "Where's the Doctor?"

"I don't kn-know," Update stammered.

"Take me down there, now."

* * *

After the, uh, incident in the cage, everypony had agreed to return upstairs. The Doctor was doing a little explaining on what the Dalek was and why it needed to be destroyed.

"The metal's just battle armor, the real Dalek creature's inside," he explained as the little entourage boarded the elevator.

"What does it look like?" asked Van Statten excitedly.

"A nightmare. It's a mutation. The Daleks were genetically engineered. Every single emotion was removed except for hate." The elevator began to move towards the surface.

"Genetically engineered, by whom?"

"A genius, Van Statten. By a stallion who was king of his own little world. You would've liked him."

"But this thing has been on Gaia for over fifty years, being sold and traded, moving from collection to collection, why is it a threat now?" asked Goddard.

"Because I'm here," the Doctor responded. "How did it get to Gaia? Does anypony know?"

"The records say that it fell from the sky like a meteorite," Goddard explained, "It crashed on the Zebrean Islands, burnt in its crater for three days before anypony could get near it and all the while it was screaming. Must've gone insane."

"It must have fallen through time. The lone survivor."

"You talked about a war?"

"The Time War, the final battle between my people and the Dalek race."

"But you survived too," Van Statten remarked.

"Not by choice."

"This means, that the Dalek isn't the only alien on Gaia. Doctor, there's you." Statten smiled, it was more of an evil smirk. "The only one of your kind in existence."

* * *

Instead of finding himself back in the Tardis or getting rid of the Dalek, the Doctor found himself being chained to an examination board like some kind of experiment. They'd stolen his jacket, and sonic screwdriver, and then clapped chain cuffs onto his wrists. When the chains were pulled taught, the Doctor was pulled out spread eagle style on a metal board, hanging in front of Van Statten like one of his exhibits.

"Smile!" Statten said cheerfully before activating an odd looking machine. A bright red laser shot out of the front and scanned the Doctor's chest. But, unlike a regular sort of laser scanner, this one hurt. A whole frikkin lot. The laser vanished back into the machine, and the scan results popped up on Van Statten's end of the laser.

"Two hearts! Binary vascular system. Oh I am so going to patent this," said Van Statten rubbing his hooves together excitedly.

"So that's your secret. You don't just collect this stuff, you scavenge it," said the Doctor.

"This technology has been falling from the sky for decades, all it took was the right mind to use it," Statten explaianed proudly. "Oh the advances I've made off of alien junk. You've got no idea Doctor. WI-FI? An alien computer. Just last year, we cultivated bacteria from a crashed ship and do you know what we found? The cure for the common cold. Kept it strictly in the lab of course, don't want to get everypony excited. Why sell one cure when I can sell a thousand treatments?"

"Do you know what a Dalek is Van Statten?" asked the Doctor, "A Dalek is honest. It does what it was born ot do for the survival of its species. That creature in your dungeon is better than you!"

"In that case, I will be true to myself, and continue."

"Listen to me! That thing down stairs is going to kill every last one of us!"

"Nothing can escape the cage," Van Statten said, activating the laser again.

"But it's woken up, it knows I'm here! It's going to get out, Van Statten," the Doctor protested, "I swear, nopony on this base is safe, nopony on this planet!" Statten ignored him and activated the laser once more, this time just to hear the Doctor scream.

* * *

Update and Roseluck walked out of the elevator on Cage level. A guard tried to stop them, but Update flashed his "level three access, special permission from Mister Van Statten" ID card and the Cage was opened for them. They trotted in, and the Cage door was closed behind them.

"Don't get too close," Update warned. Roseluck stepped forward, towards the Dalek. When it didn't do anything, she stepped closer.

"Hello," she said trying to be friendly, "Are you in pain? My name's Roseluck, I've got a friend, he can help. His called the Doctor. What's your name?" The Dalek's eyestalk looked at her.

"Yes," it croaked.

"What?" asked Roseluck, surprised.

"I am, in pain," the Dalek croaked, "They tor-ture me, but still they, fear me. Do you fear, me?"

"No."

"I, am, dying."

"No, we can help."

"I wel-come death. But I am glad, the before, I, die, I have met a po-ny who was not afraid."

"Isn't there anything I can do?"

"My race is dead, I shall die, alone." Roseluck stared at the Metaltron. She felt sorry for the alien, and in a move to comfort it, she patted it gently with her hoof. There was a hiss, and flash of heat, Roseluck jerked her hoof away. A golden hoof print was left behind on the alien's metal surface, it faded quickly. The Dalek began to fight against the chains binding it into the Cage. Roseluck stumbled away from the creature in fear.

"Genetic material extrapolated!" the Dalek said, "Initiate cellular reconstruction!" The chains began to break, one by one they snapped off. Simmons came rushing in with his drill.

"What the hell did you do?!" he demanded before running over to the Dalek. The Dalek raised its plunger-like arm.

"What're you going to do? Sucker me to death?" asked Simmons sarcastically. How did you know? The Dalek did exactly that, the plunger shot up and covered Simmons's face then proceeded to suck until his entire head was crushed in on itself. Roseluck and Update took that moment to escape the Cage.

"It's killing him!" Roseluck said, panicked, "Do something!" The guard activated the red alert, lights and alarms blared.

"Condition red!" the guard called into the intercom system, "I repeat, condition red!"

* * *

_"This is not a drill! Condition red!"_ The signal rang through the entire facility, even into the area where Van Statten was torturing the Time-Pony with his laser. The Doctor, who was completely exhausted after being shocked at least seven times, looked up at Van Statten.

"Release me if you want to live," he said, quietly and seriously.

* * *

The elevator opened with a ding, and Goddard, The Doctor, and Van Statten galloped into his office. The office was large and very fancy, with a hologram screen computer and a 72-inch flat screen on the wall. Right then, the TV was tuned into the security cameras down in the Cage.

"You've got to keep it in the cell," the Doctor ordered.

_"Doctor, it's all my fault,"_ Roseluck said, on screen.

_ "I've sealed the compartment, it can't get out. The lock's got a billion combinations," _the guard said also coming on screen.

"A Dalek's a genius. It can calculate a thousand billion combinations in one second fl-" The Cage door opened and the Dalek rolled out.

"_Open fire!"_ Both guards opened fire, their guns firing at the Dalek and the bullets bouncing right off.

"Don't shoot it!" roared Van Statten, "I want in unharmed!"

"Roseluck get out of there!"

* * *

"Mage," the first guard Water instructed, "Take the civilians and get them out alive. That is your job, got that?" Mage nodded, "You two, with me." And she, Roseluck, and Update galloped out of there, leaving Water shooting at the Dalek. The robot stopped advancing towards the door, but turned and went to the computers. It looked up at the TV with its eyestalk, and smashed it with the plunger attachment.

Electricity sparked out of the broken TV, along the Dalek's casing, and into the metal cover. As it sparked, it healed. The falling off metal plates sealed together, the dented orbs on the base smoothed out, and the rusty brown metal turned to a shiny gold.

"Abandoning the Cage sir," Water said, dropping his gun and running. The Dalek rolled a foot back, away from the TV screens, and screamed, "The Daleks survive in me!" Its laser activated, shooting the last working screens, the electric wiring, and the lights.

* * *

"We're losing power," Goddard said, rapidly typing on the computer. "It's draining the base. Oh Celestia, it's draining all the power from here to Manehatten."

"It's downloading," the Doctor clarified.

"Downloading what?" asked Van Statten.

"Sir, all of Equestria's power is down."

"It's not just energy, that Dalek just absorbed the entire internet. It knows everything."

"All the Vault cameras are down," Goddard reported.

"And we've only got emergency power, it's eaten everything else. You've got to kill it now!" the Doctor ordered. Goddard activated the intercom, "_All guards to converge on the Metaltron cage, immediately!_"

And the guards did just that. A squadron of about ten heavily armed soldiers, seven with guns three with magic as well, blocked the only hall exiting the Cage. Roseluck, Update, and Mage galloped past them. Only moments later, Water came running.

"Cover the North wall!" he ordered, "Red division, maintains suppressing fire along the parimeter, blue division-agh!" The Dalek had come into the hall, and zapped Water with its laser. He lit up like a winter tree for a moment, his skeleton flashed bright white, then he collapsed to the ground, mildly smoking. The soldiers opened fire, a mix of lead bullets and magic blasts, none of which hit the Dalek. The bullets melted in a force field which wrapped around the Dalek. The magic simply vanished before it even got close. The Dalek raised its laser attachment and fired another blast, electrocuting another soldier.

There was a clattering of hooves as another force of soldiers ran up behind the Dalek and began to fire. Their efforts were as futile as the first's. The Dalek's head swiveled 'round and focused on them, its middle section spun around too, giving it the ability to zap another. The head turned back around, followed by the middle, it fired again. It kept doing this, over and over again, killing another pony every time it fired. But Van Statten, listening upstairs, didn't care.

"Tell them to stop shooting!" he yelled, more cared about his precious alien to care about the ponies dying because of it.

"But it's killing them!" Goddard said.

"They're dispensable," Statten replied, "That Dalek is unique." He turned on the mike.

"I don't want to see a scratch on its body work, do you hear me? Do you hear me?" he stopped, the gun fire had ceased. Nopony was firing anymore, because they were all dead. Dead at the base of Van Statten's prized item. Goddard, thinking instead of demanding to save the killer, thought rationally and pulled up a schematic of the base. A little blue dot moved along the bottom floor. A large red dot sat on the top floor.

"That's us, right below the surface," she said, pointing to the red dot then moving to the blue dot, "That's the Cage, and that's the Dalek."

"This museum, does it have alien weapons?" asked the Doctor.

"Loads," Goddard replied, "But the Dalek is between them and us."

"We've got to keep that thing alive," Van Statten demanded, "We could just seal the entire Vault, trap it down there."

"Leaving everypony trapped with it. Roseluck Is down there, I won't let that happen." The Doctor looked back at the schematic, "It's got to go through this area, what is it?"

"Weapons testing," Goddard replied.

"Give guns to everypony, anypony. Only then have you got a chance of killing it."

* * *

Roseluck burst through the door to the stairwell, Update followed and nearly fell on top of her. Roseluck looked at the stairs and nearly cried with joy.

"Stairs!" she cried happily, "That's more like it! Let's see a legless pepper pot chase us upstairs!"

"It's coming!" Mage said joining them at the stair base, "Go up!" and the trio began the climb upstairs, going two at a time. They stopped at the second landing, close enough to watch but far enough not to die. The Dalek rolled in, it looked up at them.

"Great big alien death machine, defeated by a flight of stairs," Update mocked.

"Now listen to me," Mage said, keeping her gun ready, "I demand that you return to the Cage. If you want to negotiate I can guarantee that Mister Van Statten will be willing to talk. I accept that we imprisoned you, and maybe that was wrong, but ponies have died, and that stops right now. The killing stops, have you got that? I demand that you surrender, is that clear?" The Dalek did nothing.

"ELEVATE." With that, it started to rise off the floor. Hovering like a balloon, it began to float up the stairs.

"Oh my Celestia," Roseluck muttered, scared stiff.

"Update, get her out of here," Mage ordered, keeping her pistol trained on the advancing alien.

"Come with us," Roseluck begged, "You can't stop it!"

"Somepony's got to try. Now get out! Don't look back just run!" Roseluck nodded, then she and Update continued their climb up the stairs. Mage fired again and again at the Dalek, and despite the closing range she still couldn't hit the eye piece. And from upstairs, Roseluck and Update could still hear her scream.

* * *

"I thought you were the great expert Doctor!" Van Statten said as he paced the office madly, "If you're so impressive, why don't you reason with this Dalek? It must be willing to negotiate, there must be something it needs. Everything needs something!" The Doctor, working at the computer, glanced up.

"What's the nearest city?" he asked.

"Fillydelphia."

"Population?"

"One million."

"All dead," The Doctor answered grimly, "If that Dalek gets out it'll murder every living creature. That's all it needs."

"But why would it do that?!"

"Because it honestly believes they should die. Ponies are different, and anything different is wrong. It's the ultimate racial cleansing and you Van Statten, you've let it loose!" The Doctor turned his attention away from the greedy billionaire to the battle field forming in weapons testing. They had audio, but no visual.

Everypony down there who could hold a gun, which was everypony, had been given one and moved into position in the large hall with targets at one end and crates of guns against the wall. Ponies were stationed on the platform above the testing range and on the ground floor. All of them locked and loaded, ready to take down this tin robot. They waited. There was a sound coming from the other hall, everypony readied their guns.

Update and Roseluck galloped in, saw the guns, and narrowly ran back into the other hall with the Dalek.

"Hold your fire!" the commander called, "You two get the hell out of here!" Those two continued to run, through the blockade to the back wall. They stopped though, the Dalek had just rolled in. It looked around, and then the blue light on its eye shrunk down as it zoomed in on Roseluck. Update grabbed Roseluck's jacket and pulled her out of the bay.

"It was looking at me," she said, shocked.

"Yeah, it wants to slaughter us!" Update protested trying to get her out of there.

"I know, but it was looking right at me," Roseluck insisted.

"So? It's just sort of a metal eye thing, it's looking all around."

"I don't know, it's like there's something inside, looking at me, like it knows me."

"Open fire!" came the cry from in weapons testing as a second bullet barrage began on the Dalek.

* * *

"We've got vision," Goddard reported, putting the feed on the TV. The Dalek sat in the middle of the room; it seemed to be showing off its invincibility.

"It wants us to see." The Dalek started to rise into the air; it didn't go anywhere, just up. Then _ZAP! _It blasted the fire alarm, setting off the fire sprinklers and dowsing the room in artificial rain. Large puddles began to form on the floor, until everypony was hoof-deep in water. The Dalek fired another shot, this one hitting the water.

It zapped everypony standing on the ground floor that was wet or standing in water. A total of twenty-three killed in one blast.

"Fall back! Fall back!" called the commander. He and all the ponies on the viewing platform scrambled to escape the water and the platform. But the Dalek shot again, this time hitting the metal pole and zapping the platform itself with electricity. Again, it killed everypony standing up there, a total of seventeen. They were all dead.

"Perhaps it's time for a new strategy," Statten said, staring at the Dalek on screen. "Maybe we should consider abandoning this place."

"Except there's no power to the helipad, sir. We can't get out," Goddard reminded him stiffly.

"You said we could seal the Vault," said the Doctor, trying to figure out a way to stop the Dalek.

"It was designed to be a bunker in the event of attack. Steel bulkheads," Statten explained.

"There's not enough power, those bulkheads are massive."

"We've got emergency power, we can re-route that to the bulkhead doors."

"We'd have to bypass the security codes and that would take a computer genius."

"Good thing you've got me," Statten was at the computer, already re-routing the power.

"You want to help?" the Doctor asked, surprised.

"I don't want to die Doctor, simple as that. And nopony knows this software better than me." Goddard looked back at the TV, the dalek was looking directly at the TV, as if it were waiting for them.

"Sir."

"_I shall speak only to the Doctor," t_he Dalek squawked. The Doctor stepped in front of the TV, it could see him and he could see it.

"You're going to get rusty," he warned.

"_I fed off the DNA of Roseluck. Extrapolating the biomass of a time traveler regenerated me."_

"What's your next trick?"

_"I have been searching for the Daleks."_

"Yeah, I saw. Downloading the internet, what did you find?"

_"I scanned your satellites and telescopes."_

"And?"

"_No-thing… Where shall I get my orders now?!"_

"You're a soldier without commands."

"_Then I shall follow the Primary Order, the Dalek instinct to destroy, to conquer-"_

"What for? What's the point? Don't you see that it's all gone? Everything you were, everything you stood for."

"_Then what, should I do?"_

"Alright, you want orders, here's one. Kill yourself."

"_The Daleks must survive!"_

"The Daleks have failed! Why don't you finish the job and make the Daleks extinct? Rid the universe of your filth! Why don't you just die!" Everypony stopped, surprised and a little scared at the Doctor's fury. The Dalek also seemed shocked, but how could one tell?

"_You would make a good Dalek,_" it said, then the screen deactivated. The Doctor stared at the screen, "Seal the Vault." He said numbly.

* * *

Roseluck's phone buzzed in her pocket. She nearly fell flat on her face trying to pull out of her jacket pocket and run at the same time.

"This isn't the best time," she said when she finally had gotten the phone out with the help of Update. She ran with it pressed against her shoulder. (Like what humans do when you need to talk on the phone but your hands are full.)

"_Where are you?"_ asked the Doctor on the other end.

"Level forty nine," Roseluck replied as they galloped past the sign.

"_You've got to keep moving, the Vault's being sealed off at level forty six."_

"Can't you stop them closing?"

"_I'm the one who's closing them. I can't wait and I can't help you. Now for Pete's sake run."_ Roseluck ran faster, as fast as she could without losing the mobile.

"_Done! We've got power to the bulkheads!"_

_ "The Dalek's right behind them."_

"We're nearly there, give us two seconds!" Roseluck begged as she ran after Update into level forty-six.

"_Doctor, we can't sustain the power. The whole system is failing. Doctor, you've got to close the bulk heads._" There was a pause, a long one.

"_I'm sorry._" There was a click as the Doctor pressed the enter key and activated the bulkheads. A klaxon alarm started to blare, (It sounded kinda like a sub preparing to dive) and bright orange lights began to flash.

"Come on!" Update called. They ran down the hall, the giant metal door was closing fast. Update reached it first and rolled under with only eighteen inches to spare.

* * *

"The Vault is sealed," Van Statten reported.

"Roseluck? Where are you? Did you make it?" the Doctor asked.

"_Sorry, I was a bit slow._" Roseluck said sadly, _"See you then, Doctor... It wasn't your fault, remember that okay? It wasn't your fault. And do you know what? I wouldn't have missed it for the world._"

"_Exterminate!" ZAP!_ The Doctor threw his phone on the ground in frustration. He'd lost another, just one more to add to the death count. And what was worse, was that he was the one who'd closed the bulkheads trapping her with that thing, he had killed her. Just like he'd killed all of the Daleks, like he would've killed the last.

"I'm sorry," Van Statten apologized, trying to help.

"I said I'd protect her. She was only here because of me, and you're sorry? I could've killed that Dalek in its cell, but you stopped me."

"It was the prize of my collection!"

"Your collection? But what's it worth now? Look what your prized artifact did to all those ponies! Look at Roseluck! Was it worth all their lives to save? Let me tell you something Van Statten. Ponies go into space to explore, to be part of something greater."

"Exactly! I wanted to touched the stars!"

"You just want to pull the stars, trap them in a jar and label them for sale. You just want a profit off them! You're about as far from the stars as you can get, and you took her with you. She was nineteen years old!"

* * *

Roseluck braced herself, for a flash of pain then black peace. But it never came. She could still feel her four hooves on the ground, she could still hear the sirens, she could still see the Dalek staring at her.

"Go on then, kill me," she said, "Why're you doing this?"

"I am armed, I will kill. It is my purpose," the Dalek monotoned.

"They're all dead because of you!"

"They're all dead because of us."

"And now what? What're you waiting for?" demanded Roseluck. I must make it clear that she did not want to die, she just wanted to know if the Dalek was going to kill her or not. The Dalek seemed stuck, like it didn't know what to do.

"I, feel, your fear," it said.

"What do you expect?" asked Roseluck.

"Daleks do not fear. Must not fear!" It began firing randomly, if the goal was to kill everything except Roseluck, that Dalek would've been hard to beat.

"You gave me life," it said, "What else have you given me? I am contaminated!"

* * *

Update stepped off the elevator into his boss's office, and was immediately intercepted by the Doctor.

"You were quick on your hooves, leaving Roseluck behind."

"I'm not the one who sealed the Vault!"

"_Open the bulkhead or Roseluck dies._" A familiar broken auto-tuned voice said. The TV had reactivated, it showed the Dalek holding its laser at Roseluck down on floor forty-six. The Doctor almost jumped for joy.

"You're alive!"

_ "Can't get rid of me,_" Roseluck said.

"I thought you were dead."

"_Open the bulkhead!" _the Dalek yelled.

"_Don't do it!"_ Roseluck protested.

_"What use are emotions, if you can not save the mare you love?" _asked the Dalek. The Time-Pony looked at the others.

"I killed her once, I can't do it again." and he re-activated the bulkheads. On screen, the giant door slid open and Roseluck and Dalek walked through.

"What do we do now, you bleeding heart. What the hell do we do?" demanded Statten.

"Kill it when it gets here," suggested Update.

"But all the regular guns are useless and the alien ones are down stairs," Goddard said.

"Only the catalogued ones."

* * *

Update pulled out the crate where he put all the alien weapons he was still working on. The Doctor looked through them one by one.

"Broken," he tossed it aside. "Broken. Hairdryer." Update face-hoofed.

"Mister Van Statten tends to dispose of his staff, and he wipes their memory when he does. I kept these in case I needed to fight my way out," Update explained, ducking to dodge a thrown broken blaster.

"What, you in fight? I'd like to see that."

"I could do it," Update said proudly.

"What're you going to do, throw you're a-levels at 'em?" The Doctor pulled out a blaster, this one you wore on your hoof and fired by thought. And it wasn't broken or a hairdryer.

"Oh-ho yes. Lock, and, load."

* * *

Roseluck watched the elevator number click up. She glanced over at the Dalek, specifically at its laser. She was incredibly nervous; it could kill her at any moment. But why wasn't it?

"I'm begging you, don't kill them," she said nervously, "You didn't kill me."

"But why not?" asked the Dalek angrily, "Why are you alive? My function is to kill. What am I? WHAT AM I?" The elevator doors opened onto Van Statten's office.

"Don't move, don't do anything. It's beginning to question itself," Roseluck said, trying to save their lives. The Dalek rolled out of the elevator, right up to Van Statten.

"Van Statten," it growled, "You tortured me. Why?"

"I wanted to help you," he stammered, the Dalek slowly rolled forward, pushing Statten against the wall.

"I just, I don't know. I was trying to help. I thought if we could get through to you, if we could mend you. I wanted you better. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! I swear. I just wanted you to talk!"

"Then hear me talk now. Exterminate. Exterminate! EXTERMINATE!"

"Don't do it!" Roseluck cried, "Don't kill him! You don't have to do this anymore. There must be something else, not just killing. What else it there? What do you want?" The Dalek's head spun to face Roseluck, then Statten, and then back to Roseluck.

"I, want, freedom," it croaked.

* * *

Roseluck walked next to the Dalek into the loading hall for Level 1. Nothing but sky was above the concrete ceiling. The Dalek looked up, raised its blaster, and fired. Knocking a good sized hole in the roof. Chunks of debris rained down, but the sunlight shone through.

"You're out then," Roseluck said, "Never thought I'd feel the sun again."

"How does it, feel?" asked the Dalek. Roseluck looked to see what it meant, but something was happening to the Dalek. It seemed to be coming apart, the middle section came out and separated, the top of the dome simply slid open, revealing the inside of the Dalek. Inside the hard metal shell, was a small one eyed octopus mutant sitting among wires and cords. One of its little tentacles reached out, towards the sun.

"Get out of the way Roseluck!" called a voice, "Move right now!" She looked behind her, there stood the Doctor, holding his giant alien blaster.

"No, I won't let you do this," Roseluck stayed in front of the Dalek.

"That thing killed hundreds of ponies!"

"It's not the on pointing a gun at me."

"I've got to do this, I've got to end it. The Daleks destroyed my home, my people! I've got nothing left!"

"But look at it," Roseluck stepped aside so he could see the real Dalek.

"What's it doing?"

"It's the sunlight, that's all it wants."

"But it can't-"

"It couldn't kill Van Statten, it couldn't kill me. It's changing. What about Doctor? What the hell are you changing into?"

"I couldn't… I wasn't… Oh Roseluck, they're all dead." The Doctor dropped his gun.

"Why do we survive?" asked the Dalek.

"I don't know."

"I am the last of the Daleks."

"You're not even that," said the Doctor, "Roseluck did more than regenerate you. You've absorbed her DNA. You're mutating."

"Into what?"

"Something new, I'm sorry."

"Isn't that better?" asked Roseluck confused.

"Not for a Dalek."

"I can feel," the Dalek said quietly, "So many ideas, so much darkness. Roseluck, give me orders, order me to, die."

"I can't do that."

"This, is not, life. This, is, sickness. I shall not, be, like, you. Order my destruction! Obey! Obey! Obey!" Roseluck looked at the Dalek, despite all the evil horrible things it had done, she felt sorry for it. If death was what it wanted, then so be it.

"Go ahead then."

"Are you frightened Rose, Luck?"

"Yeah."

"So, am, I." The Dalek's one eye closed as it whispered "Exterminate." Roseluck backed away from the Dalek, nearly tripped over the ceiling rubble, and ran over to the Doctor. The Dalek shell closed back up and it floated into the air. The orbs floated off the base and into the air, where they formed a sphere around the Dalek. The Dalek exploded, but the orbs created a shield keeping it locked inside. Then it all vanished in a puff of smoke.

The Dalek menace had been defeated.

* * *

Van Statten, he was being guarded as usual. But, with a single nod from Goddard, the last of the few soldiers in the base, grabbed him and dragged him through the hall just as they'd done with Polk when Statten had fired him.

"What the hell are you doing?" he demanded.

"Two hundred personnel dead, and all because of you sir," Goddard replied, "Take him away, wipe his memory, and leave him by the road someplace."

"You can't do this to me! I am Van Statten!"

"And by tonight, Van Statten will be a homeless brainless junkie living on the streets of Canterlot, Manehatten, Hoofdon," Goddard stopped walking and watched her former-boss get dragged away, "Somewhere busy."

* * *

They were back on the bottom floor, next to the now empty Cage, in the heart of the museum. Next to the Tardis. The Doctor was resting his forehead against the wooden box, Roseluck stood beside him.

"This is all I've got left of home," the Doctor said, patting his beloved box, "Definitely better than nothing."

"Is that the end of it, the Time War?" asked Roseluck.

"I'm the only one left, I win. How's that?"

"The Dalek survived, maybe some Time-Ponies survived as well."

"I'd know, in here." He tapped his forehead, "Feels like there's nopony left."

"Well then, good thing I'm not going anywhere," Roseluck said. The Doctor looked at her and smiled, "Yeah." Update came running up, he was out of breath and a little panicked.

"We'd better get out," he said, "Van Statten's disappeared. They're closing the base, Goddard says they're going to fill it with cement, like it never existed."

"About time," Roseluck remarked.

"I'll have to go back home."

"Better hurry up then, next train to Hoofdon leaves in two hours," the Doctor said.

"Update saying how much he'd love to see the stars," Roseluck said, suggesting he could tag-a-long.

"Tell him to go stand outside then."

"He's all on his own Doctor, and he did help."

"He left you down there."

"So did you."

"What're you two arguing about? We've got to leave!" Update said trying to get them to leave with him.

"Plus he's a bit pretty," the Doctor reminded her.

"I hadn't noticed."

"On your own head," the Doctor said pulling out his key and unlocking the Tardis.

"What're you doing?" asked Update, "She said cement. She wasn't joking! We're going to get sealed in!" But the time travelers didn't notice, they had already gone inside the Tardis.

"Doctor? Roseluck? Why're you guys going into a box? Hello?" Update looked around, then stepped into the blue police box. With a final _Vworping_ sound, the Tardis dematerialized out of Van Statten's alien museum.

_To be continued in The Long Game..._

**Me: Done once again. At the beginning I said I'd explain how Pony guns work. Aka: firing cylinders attached to a wrist harness they are magically enchanted to-  
**

**Roseluck: fire when the mind tells it to.  
**

**Me: Roseluck! Can you let me finish?**

**Roseluck: Can I help?**

**Me: Fine, just hold on a moment. Special thanks to Cyclon One and Skadadle for being loyal reviewers and good friends.**

**Roseluck: Hasbro owns me, Celestia, and all things pony-ish. BBC owns my Time-Pony friend, the Daleks, the Time War, and everything timey-wimey.**

**Both: Thanks for reading! /) bro-hoof!**


	7. Episode 7, The Long Game

Doctor Whooves

_The Long Game_

**A Note: Same timing as in the show, but I have to say, this episode is a perfect example of how stupid humans/ponies are and how correct the Doctor actually is about us. Who goes and gets a door surgically put into you head? Seriously? Who's really that stupid?**

Satellite Five, the news station for all of the Fourth Great and Bountiful Equestrian Empire. Every piece of information coming or going from anywhere went through Satellite Five before being beamed out to news stations across the galaxy. The station itself looked like and axel with three wheels just floating in space, it had about five hundred floors, each with a different job.

Sixteen was medical non-emergency , fifty through one hundred were introductory and classes, and floor five hundred. You only went there when you proved to be the best of the best, the walls were supposedly made of gold. Most ponies, robots, aliens, multi-forms, dreamed of going their entire lives, but most can't fit the bill. So, you lived on Satellite five just to go to floor five hundred. But something fishy was going on up there, 'cos nopony ever came back.

On floor one three nine, in one of the branching rooms, the Tardis had landed with its usual _vworp vworp_ fanfare. Roseluck and the Doctor were first out. Update, the newest traveler, was still inside the Tardis trying to wrap his head around the fact he was actually time traveling. Roseluck had a plan to impress Update because, believe it or not, she actually did have a crush on Update. And she needed the Doctor's help.

"So, it's two hundred thousand, and it's a space ship," the Doctor explained, "No wait, space station, and… Go try the gate over there." Roseluck nodded and turned to open the Tardis.

"Two hundred thousand?"

"Two hundred thousand."

"Right." She opened the Tardis door, "Update? You can come out now." The unicorn stepped out of the Tardis and his eyes became the size of oranges.

"Oh, my, gosh," Update stared around.

"Don't worry, you'll get used to it."

"Where are we?"

"Good question," Roseluck put on her 'detecting face'. "Let's see, so uh, judging by the architecture, I'd say we're around the year two hundred thousand. If you listen,"

"What?"

"Engines. We're on some sort of space station. Yeah, definitely a space station," Roseluck said proudly. Unbeknownst to both of them, the Doctor was struggling not to laugh.

"Hey, it's a bit warm in here, they could turn the heating down," Roseluck continued, "Well come on then! Let's try the gate!" She trotted over and through the gate, into an observation deck similar to the ones on Platform One, just a lot grayer and it had a computer terminal by the window. But the view was the same, good ol' Gaia floating out in space. Its surface was covered with cities and glowing lights.

When the rest of the little tour group caught up, Roseluck was ready to continue.

"Here we go! And this is… I'll let the Doctor explain."

"The Fourth Great and bountiful Equestrian Empire," the Doctor explained, "And there it is, Gaia at its height. Covered with mega-cities, five moons for Princess Luna, population of ninety-six billion, the hub of a galactic kingdom stretching across million planets, a million species, with ponies right in the middle." _Thump!_ Update had fainted. Roseluck face-hoofed and the Doctor laughed.

"He's your boyfriend."

"Not anymore."

**You know the drill. Cue intro music!**

The trio walked out of their little room into the main hub, closed shops and empty tables sat scattered around the room. A giant 139 was written on the wall in giant metal numbers.

"Come on Update, open your mind," the Doctor was saying, "You're going to like this. Fantastic period of history. The Equestrian race is at its most intelligent. Culture, art, politics. This era has got fine food, good manners,-"

"Out of the way!" Suddenly, the room exploded to life. Ponies shoving past one another to get in food lines and get to work. The food stands opened and the smells of greasy fast foods filled the air. Lines grew by the second and food was being handed out just as fast. Foals, mares, and stallions alike were rushing rushing rushing about to do anything.

"Fine cuisine?" asked Roseluck skeptically as ponies bought foods like Kronkburgers.

"My watch must be wrong." The Doctor pulled up his sleeve and checked the little clock face. "No, it's fine. It's weird."

"That's what comes with showing off," Roseluck replied, "your history's not as good as you thought it was."

"My history's perfect."

"Well obviously not."

"They're all ponies," Update pointed out, "What about the millions of planets? The millions of species? Where are they?"

"Good question. Actually, that is a really good question. Anypony hungry?"

"What?" asked the companions simultaneously. The Doctor walked over to one of the lines and skipped to the front of the line.

"Oi, mate, how much is a kronkburger?" The chef glared at him before replying: "Two credits twenty, now get in line!"

"Thanks!" He walked back over to Update and Roseluck, "Right, money, we need money. Let's find a cash point." And he galloped off, Roseluck and Update ran off after him. He ran to a Credit Five cash point and with a little buzzing of the handy-dandy sonic screwdriver and the credit machine spit out a small silver stick. Not like the sonic more like a strip of silver. The Doctor grabbed it and handed the silver to Update.

"There you go pocket-money, don't spend it all on sweets." Update picked up the credit and just looked at it.

"How does it work?"

"Go and find out," the Doctor said making a shooing motion, "Stop nagging me. The thing is, Update, time travel's like visiting Prance. (pony France) You can't just read the guide book, you've got to throw yourself in. Eat the food, use the wrong words, get arrested and end up kissing a griffon. Or is that just me? Stop asking questions, go on and have fun. Have your first date."

"You're going to get a smack you are," Roseluck teased before dragging Update off into the crowds. The Doctor turned around and went off to find some more definitive answers to where he was. Two very smartly dressed mares were chatting over by a large wall of TVs that were displaying multiple different news channels. Targets acquired.

One was a purple Pegasus with indigo hair wearing a blue floral tee. Her cutie-mark was a lantern made of 1's and 0's. The other was a chocolate-y brown unicorn with a tan streaked mane wearing a sharp black suite. She had a cutie-mark of a mini satellite. Their names were Cathica and Suki, best friends and partner journalists.

"Uh, this is going to sound daft," the Doctor began, "But can you tell me where I am?"

"Floor one nine three, could they write it any bigger?" replied Cathica.

"Floor one nine three of what?"

"Must've been one hell of a party."

"You're on Satellite Five," Suki replied.

"What's Satellite Five?"

"Come on, how can you get on board without knowing where you are?" asked Cathica.

"Look at me. I'm stupid."

"Hold on, wait a minute, are you a test?" asked Suki, her wings fluttering nervously. "Some sort of management test kind of thing?" The Doctor nodded, "You've got me, well done. Too clever for me." He pulled out the psychic paper and flipped it open for them to see.

"They warned us about this in basic training," Suki said nervously, "All workers have to be versed in company promotion."

"Alright then fire away," said Cathica, "Ask your questions. If it gets me to Floor Five Hundred, I'll do anything."

"What happens on floor five hundred?" questioned the Doctor.

"The walls are made of gold, and you should know Mister Management. This, is what we do," Cathica gestured to the wall TVs, "Latest news, sandstorms on the new Venus archipelago. Two hundred dead. Glasgow water riots into their third day. Space lane seventy-seven closed by sunspot activity. And over here on the Bad Wolf channel, the Face of Boe has just announced that he's pregnant."

"I get it, you broadcast the news."

"We are the news. We're journalists. We write it, package it and sell it. Six hundred channels-"

* * *

"_a__ll coming out of Satellite Five, broadcasting everywhere."_ The Editor watched the security camera feed with a look of distaste. Something was wrong, end he could tell. The Editor was all white, pale from bitter cold on Floor Five Hundred, and pale from never seeing the sun.

"Something is wrong," he mused, "Something… Fictional. Those ponies."

"_Nothing happens in all of the Empire without it going through us."_ The Editor leaned in, between the frost covered corpses working the computers.

"Security check," he instructed, "Go deep." The frosted pony didn't acknowledge that it had heard, but it began the security background check. Searching for something fictional.

* * *

Roseluck trotted back over to her and Update's table with a slushie drink in her hooves. Update was sitting at one of the tables, head in his hooves, looking sick. Roseluck offered him her drink.

"Try this, it's called a Zaphic," she explained, "Its good, like a uh Slush Puppy."

"What flavor?" asked Update. Roseluck sipped the straw.

"Sort of, like a carrot?"

"Oh my gosh," Update looked like he was at a cross between sick, excited, and incredibly nervous. " It's just, everything's gone, home, family, everything." Roseluck got an idea, she pulled her mobile out of her red and black jacket pocket.

"This helps," she said giving it to him. "The Doctor gave it a bit of tune-up. Let's you call back home. Anypony back home you could call?"

"Yeah."

"Phone them up."

"But that's one hundred ninety nine thousand years ago!"

"Just try it."

"Is there a code for Gaia?"

"Just dial." Update looked at the phone, then slowly dialed his home number. The dial tone rang, then the answering machine answered with the recorded message,

"_I'm sorry we're not in. Please leave a message, thanks bye!"_ _BEEP!_

"Hi, it's me," Update looked at Roseluck with a smile, it was working! "I've sort of, gone travelling. I met these ponies and we've gone travelling together. But uh, I'm fine, and I'll call you later. Love you. Bye." He closed the cell phone. "That is so-" Another alarm sounded, signaling the end of break or whatever because the vendors began closing up shop and the ponies went their separate ways.

"Oi! Lovebirds! Over here!" the Doctor called, motioning for them to come over. Roseluck leapt up and trotted over, Update came too, just a bit slower. And he didn't return Roseluck's phone right away, he'd put it in his jacket pocket.

* * *

Up on Floor Five Hundred, the computer had finished its security check, nothing wrong. And it told the Editor that, but he was still suspicious.

"_Security check cleared,"_ the computer reported.

"No, something's wrong," the Editor protested, "I can taste it. A tiny little shift in the information. Somepony down there shouldn't be here." The video feed he was watching, the ponies who shouldn't have been there, were Cathica, Suki, The Doctor, Roseluck, and Update. So the Editor was right. The Computer was just too stupid to notice.

"Double check," he instructed, "Triple check. Follow them."

* * *

Cathica and Suki led their supposed management inspector and his friends to the Information Gathering Room. A large chair sat in the center with wires coming out of it and into the floor. A giant laser-looking thing was attached to the ceiling over the chair, clearly meant to be used by or on the pony sitting in the chair below it. Around this "seat of honor", was an octagonal or eight-sided desk with a cushioned seat on each side where a pony was seated. (one of which was Suki) Each of the desk spots had glass covered hoofprints, where one would put their hooves to reach the information flow.

Cathica stood beside the Broadcast Chair and was prepping her fellow journalists for their "management test".

"Now, everypony behave. We have a management inspection," Cathica explained. She glanced over at the Doctor, who was standing against the wall behind a safety bar with his companions.

"How do you want it? By the book?"

"Right from scratch please."

"Okay," Cathica turned back to the journalists, "So, mares, gentle-colts, multi-gender, undecided or robot- my name is Cathica. That's Cathica with a C if you want to write Floor Five Hundred praising me, and please do" she smiled at the Doctor hopefully. "Now, feel free to ask questions. The process of news gathering must be open, honest, and beyond bias. That's company policy."

"Actually," Suki interrupted, "It's the law."

"Yes, thank you Suki. Okay, keep it calm, don't show off for the guests. Here we go." Cathica climbed up onto the chair and leaned back.

"Engage safety." Bright yellow lights lit up behind the white walls, making them glow. Cathica clicked her tongue and her horn unfolded. I know it sounds ridiculous but it did! It opened like a mechanical flower bud, unfolding from the center. The seven sitting around at the desks put their hooves out, keeping them over the hoofprints.

"And three, two, and spike." The seven dropped their hooves into the prints and a beam of blue energy came out of the machine above the chair and went into Cathica's open head.

"Compressed information," the Doctor mused, "Streaming into her. Reports from every city, every country, every planet, and they get packaged inside her head. She becomes part of the software. Her brain is the computer."

"If it all goes through her, she must be a genius," Roseluck assumed.

"Nah, she wouldn't remember any of it. There's too much. Her head would blow up. The brain's the processor and as soon as it closes, she forgets."

"So, what about these ponies around the edge?"

"They've all got chips in their head, connecting them to her and they transmit the six hundred channels. Every single fact in the Empire beams out of this place. Now that's what I call power."

* * *

"_Analysis confirmed, security breach,"_ the computer confirmed.

"I knew it!" the Editor said triumphantly, "Which one? It's somepony inside that room," he pointed to the security feed for the room where Roseluck, Update, and the Doctor were watching.

"Which one?"

"_Isolating breach._" The computer droned panning the room with a camera.

"Come on, show me. Who is it?"

"_You all right?"_ the mare with the pink mane asked her friend.

"_I can see her brain," _the unicorn said shuddering.

* * *

"Do you want to leave?" asked Roseluck.

"No," Update replied, "This technology, it's amazing."

"This technology's wrong," the Doctor corrected.

"Trouble?" asked Roseluck, smiling slightly.

"Oh yeah."

* * *

The Editor watched the screen, waiting for the computer to find the breach. It did find her, and when it did, Suki had a very small seizure.

"That's it! Oh yes, she's the liar. Intercept and scan," the Editor smiled evilly, "Gotcha."

* * *

Suki pulled her hooves off the indentations, there was a zap and the whole thing stopped. The others sitting at the desk removed their hooves as well. The information stream stopped, Cathica sat up, rubbing her temple.

"Come off it Suki, I wasn't even half way done," she complained, "What was that for?"

"Sorry," mumbled Suki rubbing her hooves, "It must've been a glitch."

* * *

"Her information's been tampered with. There's a second biography hidden underneath." There was a snarl from above, on the ceiling. Something was up there.

"Yes sir. Absolutely sir," the Editor stammered. "Her data was encrypted, so there was no way we could've found her earlier." The creature growled and made odd snarling noises.

"I'm sorry, I- yes, sorry sir. Absolutely," the Editor turned back to his computer corpses."Get her up here, now."

* * *

"_Promotion_," the computer announced. A large blue TV screen appeared on the wall with the flashing "Promotion for". All the ponies (or robots) looked at the screen, hoping that it was them getting promoted.

"Come on," Cathica prayed, "This is it. Come on, please please please, make it me. Say my name, say my name, please."

_"Promotion for… Suki,_" the computer answered. Suki stood up slowly, she looked shocked.

"I don't believe it, floor Five Hundred," Suki muttered, beginning to smile.

"How the hell did you manage that?" demanded Cathica angrily, "I'm above you!"

"I don't know," Suki mumbled, "I applied on the off-chance, and they've said yes!"

"That's so not fair," Cathica groaned, "I've been applying to floor Five Hundred for three years!"

"What's floor Five Hundred?" asked Roseluck.

"The walls are made of gold," the Doctor replied.

* * *

Suki gave Cathica a hug. She was saying a few more goodbyes before her trip upstairs. Because, nopony ever came back from floor Five Hundred. Ever.

"I'm going to miss you Cathica," Suki said, breaking away from her friend. She turned to the Doctor, "Floor Five Hundred, thank you!"

"But I didn't do anything," he responded.

"Well, you're my lucky charm."

"All right, I'll hug anypony," the Doctor gave Suki a hug. Roseluck was watching the goodbye display from a distance with Update, who still wasn't fitting in quite right.

"Come on, it's not that bad," she insisted.

"What? With the head thing?"

"She's closed it now."

"Yeah, but, it's everything," Update complained, "It freaks me out. And I just need to, if I could just, sort of, adjust."

"How do you mean?" asked Roseluck.

"Maybe, I could just go sit on the observation deck. Would that be alright? Soak it in, you know. Pretend I'm a citizen of the year two hundred thousand."

"Do you want me to come with you?"

"No no no, you stick with the Doctor. You'd rather be with him. It's going to take a better stallion than me to get between you two. Anyways, I'll be on the deck."

"Here, take this," Roseluck pulled the Tardis key out of her jacket and held it out to Update. "It's the Tardis key, you know, just in case it gets to weird out here." Update picked up the key with his magic, "Yeah like it's not weird in there." Roseluck smiled, and with a little wave, trotted over to the Doctor, Cathica, and Suki. Update put the key into his pocket, got to his hooves, then trotted off to the observation deck with a sneaky smile.

"Oh my gosh, I've got to go," SUki said grabbing her bags and hustling into the elevator. "I've got to go, can't keep them waiting. Say bye to Steve for me!" and the metal elevator door closed.

"Good riddance," Cathica muttered.

"You're talking like you'll never see her again," the Doctor noted, "She's only going upstairs.

"We won't see her again. Once you go to floor Five Hundred you never come back," Cathica explained, pivoting on her hoof and walking off with the Doctor and Roseluck following.

"Have you ever been up there?"

"I can't," Cathica said, "You need a key for the lift, and you only get a key with promotion. Nopony gets to Five Hundred except for the chosen few."

* * *

Suki danced from hoof to hoof as the elevator taking her to Five Hundred sped upstairs. It stopped at the top floor, floor Five Hundred, she had arrived. The Lift doors slid open and, the walls were definitely not made of gold. Frost and ice covered the floor; snow seemed to fall from the ceiling. Suki grabbed her bags and stepped out into the ice. But as soon as she left the lift, it closed behind her. The suddenly terrified Pegasus pulled a torch out of her bag and clicked it on, the beam of light lit up about five feet in front of her.

Suki shivered in the cold, she slowly walked further into the room. Something caught her eye, shredded plastic hanging in the doorway of one of the branching rooms. Curiosity drew her in closer, she pushed aside the plastic and walked in. It was a standard news retrieval room, but something was wrong with the ponies working it. Suki stepped around the central chair, and nearly screamed.

Sitting in the main chair, with its brain portal open, was a withered black pony skeleton. Suki waved her flashlight around at the other ponies, all of which were frozen in working positions and reduced to rotting skeletons. She back-pedaled out of there and nearly fell backwards.

Back in the main hub, she looked around for any signs that other ponies were around. Then she saw light, coming out of an open door not ten feet away. Suki looked around nervously before walking into the lit room. Inside, she saw the Editor standing up on a platform beside working ponies.

"Who're you?" asked Suki, putting away her torch and climbing up the stairs.

"I'm the Editor," he replied.

"What's happening?" asked Suki, "There are bodies out there. What's going on?"

"While we're asking questions, would you mind confirming your name?" he stomped his hoof and a holographic image of Suki appeared. It was her portfolio entry.

"_My name is Suki, I was born one nine nine apostrophe eight nine in the newly Independent Griffon Kingdom._"

"Liar," the Editor interrupted, stomping again.

"_Hobbies include reading and archeology. I'm not an expert or anything I just like digging._"

"Liar."

"_I want to work for Satellite Five because my sister can't afford university and the pay scheme is really good-"_

"Liar! Let's look at the facts shall we?" the hologram changed to what appeared to be Suki dressed in army garb , carrying a gun, and shooting at something.

"Ah-ha, hidden behind a genetic graft, but that's definitely you," the Editor said smiling, "Digi Juilienne, last surviving member of the Freedom Fifteen, self-declared anarchist, is that right?" Suddenly, Suki pulled a gun out of her saddlebag and aimed it at the Editor.

"Who controls Satellite Five?" she demanded.

"There's the truth!"

"The Freedom Foundation has been monitoring Satellite Five's transmissions. We have absolute proof that the facts are being manipulated. You are lying to the ponies."

"Ooo, I love it, say it again," the Editor insisted.

"The whole system is corrupt. Who do you represent?" asked Suki again.

"I'm merely a humble slave. I answer to the Editor-in-chief."

"Who is he? Where is he?"

"He's overseeing everything, Literally everything. If you don't mind I'm going to have to refer this upwards." He pointed upwards. Suki spun around and gasped at the creature hanging from the ceiling.

"What is that?" asked Suki, terrified.

"Your boss," the Editor replied, "This has always been your boss, since the day you were born." The creature came at her, she tried to fire the laser but it did nothing to the creature. Suki screamed as it attacked her.

* * *

Update cautiously put his hoof onto the computer panel, the computer on the observation deck. The screen console lit up.

"Give me access," Update commanded, "Give me-" The console shocked him. Update shook his hoof trying to get it to wake back up, he glanced at the screen.

"I can learn anything," he muttered putting his hoof back on the control print.

"Let's try computers, tenth century to present date, give me the history of the micro-processor," Update commanded. Data and pictures began to zoom down the screen. Update started to get a good idea. He pulled out Roseluck's super phone and dialed up his house phone. It went to voicemail again, but no matter.

"Mum, Dad, keep this message, okay? Whatever you do don't erase it. Save it, you got that?" Update turned to the computer and began to read. "The microprocessor became redundant in the year 1093, replaced by a system called SMT. That's Single Molecule Transcription." He would've continued, but the computer data was replaced by the message "Floor 16".

"No no no no no! What're you doing?" he kicked the computer then winced as it seemed louder than it was supposed to be. "Why are you doing that? What's Floor Sixteen? What's down there?"

* * *

"Look, they only give us twenty minutes maintenance. Can' you give it a rest?" asked Cathica as she, the Doctor, and Roseluck returned to the news retrieval room.

"But you've never been to another floor? Not even one floor down?" asked the Doctor sitting in the main chair.

"I went to floor sixteen when I first arrived, but that's just medical," Cathica explained, "That's when I got my head first done, and then I came straight here. Satellite Five, you work, eat, and sleep on the same floor. That's it, that's all. You're not management, are you?"

"At last, she's clever."

"Yah well whatever it is don't involve me. I don't know anything."

"Don't you ever ask?"

"Why should I?"

"You're a journalist! Why's are all the crew members ponies?"

"What's that got to do with anything?"

"There's no aliens on board, why?"

"I don't know. No real reason. They're not banned or anything."

"Then where are they?"

"I suppose immigration's tightened up. It's had to, what with all the threats."

"What threats?" (good question,)

"I don't know, all of them! Usual stuff. And the price of space warp doubled so that kept visitors away. Oh, and the government on Chavic Five's collapsed, so that lot stopped coming, you see? Just lots of little reasons, that's all."

"Adding up to one great big fact and you didn't even notice."

"Doctor, I think if there was any kind of conspiracy, Satellite Five would have seen it. We see everything."

"I can see better. This society's the wrong shape. Even the technology."

"It's cutting edge!"

"It's backwards! There's a great big door in your head. You should've chucked that out years ago."

"So, what do you thinks going on?" asked Roseluck.

"It's not just this space station, it's the whole attitude," the Doctor explained, "It's the way ponies think. The Great and Bountiful Equestrian Empire's stunted. Something's holding it back."

"And how would you know?" asked Cathica.

"Trust me, Equestria's been set back about ninety years. When did Satellite Five start broadcasting?"

"Ninety one years ago." There's the truth, Satellite Five was holding them back. Now how to stop it?

* * *

The elevator doors opened on Floor Sixteen, and Update stepped out. He still had no idea where he was or what he was supposed to do down here. Floor Sixteen, it looked kind of like a giant doctor's office. The general shape of the room was the same as all the other floors, but outside of each branching room was a desk. Sitting at 5/6 of the desks was an administrator and a pony trying to get whatever he/she needed. Update walked over to the one desk that didn't have a conversation going on.

"Sorry, um, floor Sixteen, that's uh, what do you cover?" he asked the administrator trying to sound like he knew what he was talking about.

"Medical non-emergency," the administrator/nurse replied.

"Right, yeah, wrong floor. I'm having technical difficulties. My screen keeps freezing and blocking me out."

"No, that's medical," the nurse replied, "There must be something wrong with your chip."

"Yes, yeah of course… I haven't got one."

"No wonder you can't get a screen to work," the nurse said rolling her eyes, "What are you, a student?" Update sat down in front of the desk.

"Yes, I'm uh, I'm on a research project from, the Lunar University."

"The Lunar Republic? Hmm… Interesting."

"Yeah."

"Well, you still need chipping."

"So, does that mean, like, brain surgery?"

"That's an old fashioned phrase, but it's the same thing, yes."

"Oh, okay, never mind… But if I get a chip, that means I could use any computer."

"Absolutely. You'll have to pay for it. They've stopped sponsoring."

"Oh! Right, sorry, wasting your time. Thanks." Update got up and started to walk away, and then he remembered the silver credit. He levitated it out of his pocket and turned back to the nurse.

"Hold on, can I use this?" he asked showing her the credit.

"That'll do nicely," she said with a smile.

* * *

The nurse led Update into one of the branching rooms and instructed him to sit in the central chair. As she explained what two types of chip there were, Update started to want to back out.

"It all comes in two basic types. Type one, the head chip inserted at the back of the head, no scarring. It's tiny and invisible and only costs one hundred credits. Type two is the full info-spike."

"Oh, that's the-" he pointed at his horn and waved with his hoof to say the forehead device, "Thing."

"That's the one," the nurse replied, "It does cost ten thousand."

"Oh well, uh, I couldn't afford that one then."

"Not at all, turns out, you've got unlimited credit."

"No, but I couldn't have it done, I mean, that's got to hurt, right?"

"It's painless. Contract guarantee."

"No, my mates are waiting upstairs, I can't have major surgery."

"It takes ten minutes. This sort of money buys a very fast pico-surgeon." (No idea what the heck a pico-surgeon is? Me neither, and the internet doesn't know either.)

"No, but I, I couldn't. No no it's-"

"Type one, you can interfere with a simple computer. Type two, you **are** the computer. You can transmit any piece of information from the archive of Satellite Five, which is just about the entire history of Equestria. Now, which is it going to be?"

* * *

"We are so going to get in trouble," Cathica moaned. Roseluck so wanted to go slap her and tell her to button it. The Doctor also wanted to do that, but he had a sonic in his teeth and it would just sound like garbled nonsense. He was trying to unlock a computer cupboard and get at the wiring inside.

"You're not allowed to touch the mainframe!" Cathica protested, "You're going to get told off."

"Cathica, thank you for your concern, but could you just shut it for a moment?" asked Roseluck.

* * *

The Editor was watching the Doctor as he finally got into the computer hatch. This was wrong, why hadn't the computer noticed him earlier?

"I don't understand," the Editor said, "We did a full security scan. That man was there when we found Suki. There were no indications about him. And yet there he is, clearly acting outside the limits. Fascinating." There was a snarl from the creature above. The Editor whirled around and looked up at his boss.

"Yes sir, absolutely. At once." The Editor turned to the corpses at the computers, which now included poor Suki, "Check him, double check. Triple check. Quadruple."

* * *

The Doctor was having fun among the wires as he looked for a computer to view the system with. Rosleuck was helping him by pulling out extra wires and holding the sonic screwdriver.

"This has nothing to do with me!" Cathica said turning around, "I'm going back to work."

"Go on then, see ya!" the Doctor cried.

"I can't just leave you can I?!" Cathica moaned coming back.

"If you want to help," Roseluck offered, "get them to turn the heat down. It's boiling. What's wrong with this place? Can't they do something about it?"

"I don't know. We keep asking. Something to do with the turbine," Cathica explained.

"Something to do with the turbines," the Doctor repeated sarcastically.

"Well I don't know!"

"Exactly! I give up on you Cathica. Now look at Roseluck, she's asking the right kind of questions."

"Oh thank you."

"Why is it so hot!?"

"One minute you're worried about the Empire and the next it's the central heating!"

"Well never underestimate plumbing. Plumbing's very important." And then he accidentally pulled a large group of sparking white wires out of the wall.

* * *

"_Security scan complete,_" the computer droned.

"Well who is he?" asked the Editor.

"_He is no pony."_ (you got that right)

"What does that mean?"

"_He is no pony_." It repeated.

"What, you mean he has a fake ID?"

"_He has no identification_."

"But everypony's registered. We have a census for the entire empire!"

"_He is no pony."_

"What, he doesn't exist? Not anywhere?"

"_He is no pony."_

"What about his sidekick?"

"_She is no pony._"

"Both of them? Well, we know what happens to non-entities. They get promoted! Bring them up."

* * *

"Here we go!" the Doctor pulled a computer monitor out of the cupboard. It had a schematic of Satellite Five on it.

"Satellite Five, pipes and plumbing. Look at the layout." All three ponies looked at it.

"This is ridiculous," Cathica gasped, "You've got access to the computer's core. You can look at the archive, the news, the stock exchange, and you're looking at pipes?"

"Because there's something wrong," the Doctor replied.

"I suppose."

"Why?" asked Roseluck, "What is it?"

"The ventilation system," Cathica explained, "Cooling ducts, ice filters, all working flat out channeling massive amounts of heat down."

"Something up there is generating tons and tons of heat," the Doctor added.

"Well I don't know about you, but I feel like I'm missing out on a party," Roseluck joked, "It's all going on upstairs. Fancy a trip?"

"You can't," Cathica insisted, "You need a key." Who needs a key when you've got a sonic screwdriver? Keys are for humans.

"Keys are just codes, and I've got the code right here." He typed the numbers 215.9976/31, and a little card key popped out. It was the elevator key to floor Five Hundred.

"How come it's given you the code?" asked Cathica. The Doctor looked up, a camera was watching them.

"Somepony up there likes me."

* * *

"I told you it was painless. No scarring, you see? Perfect success." Update stared at his horn. It looked the same way it had before the operation.

"How do I activate it?" he asked, poking his horn.

"It's a personal choice, the nurse explained, "Someponies whistle. I know one stallion who triggers it with 'Abracadabra'. But you're set on default for now. That's a click of the toungue."

"So you mean I just…" The nurse clicked her tongue and Update's new brain portal opened. His eyes grew to the size of plates and he clicked it shut again.

"Oh my gosh," he said breathlessly, "I'm going to be sick." He jolted forward and, instead of you know, something cold came into his mouth. Update opened his mouth and levitated a small yellow-green ice-cube out. Ew.

"Special offer," the nurse explained taking the cube and dropping it in the waste bin, "We installed the Vomit-O-Matic at the same time. Nano-termites have been placed in the lining of your throat. In the event of sickness, they freeze the waste." Okay, I don't know about you but, eeewwww.

* * *

"Come on Cathica, come with us," Roseluck offered as she and the Doctor stepped into the elevator.

"No way," Cathica replied stubbornly.

"Bye!" the Doctor said waving at her.

"Don't mention my name, when you get in trouble, don't mention me," she said turning and trotting away.

"That's her gone, Update's given up, looks like it's just me and you," he said, inserting the floor Five Hundred access key.

"Yep."

"Good."

"Yeah." The metal elevator doors closed and the lift began to skyrocket upwards. The blue floor ID numbers changed rapidly. 178, 256, 345, 421, 500. Then it stopped, the doors fell away to reveal the snowy ice rink that was floor Five Hundred.

"The walls are definitely not made of gold," the Doctor noted, "You should go back downstairs Roseluck. Roseluck?"

"Tough!" she called from across the room, "'Cos I'm not leaving you!" The Doctor rolled his eyes and trotted out of the elevator. Then he noticed a light coming from one of the branching room. He motioned for Roseluck to come over and they both walked in. The Editor was waiting with them, and he was smiling. The bad guy smiling is never a good thing.

"I started without you," he said as they joined, "Hope you don't mine. This is fascinating. Satellite Five contains every piece of information within the Fourth Great and Bountiful Equestrian Empire. Birth certificates, shopping habits, bank statements, but you two, you don't exist. Not a trace. No birth, no job, not the slightest kiss. How can you trot through the world and not leave a single hoofprint?" During this little monologue, Roseluck had taken an interest in the working ponies, one looked strangely familiar. Then she figured it out.

"Suki!" Roseluck galloped and nearly slipped trying to get to her friend. "Suki! Hello? Can you hear me Suki?" Roseluck turned and glared at the Editor, "What did you do to her?"

"I think she's dead Roseluck," the Doctor said gravely.

"She's working."

"They've got chips in their heads, and the chips keep going, like puppets."

"Oh! You're full of information," the Editor said, "But it's only fair we get some information back, because apparently, you're no pony. It's so rare not to know something. Who are you?"

"It doesn't matter," the Doctor replied stiffly, 'Because we're off. Nice to meet you. Come on." But as he turned to leave, two frozen chip-driven corpses grabbed hold of him. Roseluck tried to leave too but Suki grabbed her in a headlock.

"Tell me who you are!" the Editor repeated.

"Since that information's keeping us alive, I'm hardly going to say."

"Well, perhaps my Editor-in-Chief can convince you otherwise."

"And who's that?"

"It may interest you to know that this is not the Fourth Great and Bountiful Equestrian Empire. In fact, it's not actually Equestrian at all. It's merely a place where ponies happen to live." There was a growling sort of noise from above the Editor.

"Oh yeah, sorry. It's a place where ponies are allowed to live by kind permission of my client," the Editor gestured up to the ceiling. The Doctor looked up and saw the Editor's client. A giant red-pale pink blob with no eyes but only a mouth filled with fangs. The "head" kept looking around, snarling and drooling like a giant blob-dog-thing.

"You mean that thing is in charge of Satellite Five?"

"That thing, as you put it, is in charge of the Equestrian race," the Editor corrected. "For almost a hundred years, ponies have been shaped and guided, their knowledge and ambition strictly controlled by the broadcast news, edited by my superior, your master, and Equestria's guiding light. That thing is the mighty Jagrafess of the Holy Hadrojassic Maxanrodenfoe. I call him Max."

* * *

Back downstairs on floor One Three Nine, Cathica was trying to fight her nagging suspicions. What if the Doctor and Roseluck were right? What if they were right that something was wrong on floor Five Hundred? She tried to push the notions aside, but they kept returning. Finally, fed up with it, Cathica returned to the computer cupboard and pulled the schematic back up.

She checked it to make sure that it was the same as before, typed in the same code the Doctor had, and got the key card. She levitated it out and ran to the elevator. Cathica inserted the floor Five Hundred key card and the elevator closed, taking her upstairs.

* * *

"Create a climate of fear and it's easy to keep the borders closed. It's just a matter of emphasis," the Editor said, "The right word repeated often enough can destabilize an economy, invent an enemy, change a vote."

"So all the ponies on Gaia are like, slaves?" Roseluck said in shock. Well, partially in shock, partially fuming. She and the Doctor had both been shoved into a thick set of manacles that A) held them in place and B) forced them to stand on their back legs. Not the easiest thing for a pony to do.

"Well now, there's an interesting point. Is a slave a slave if he doesn't know he's enslaved?"

"Yes," the Doctor replied stiffly.

"Oh. I was hoping for a philosophical debate. Is that all I'm going to get? Yes?"

"Yep."

"You're no fun."

"Let me out of these manacles, you'll find out how fun I really am."

"Oh, your tough aren't you. But, come on, isn't it brilliant? You've got to admire it, just a little bit."

"You can't hide something on this scale," Roseluck noted, "Somepony must've noticed."

"From time to time, yes," the Editor admitted, "But the chip system lets me see inside their brains. I can see the smallest doubt and crush it."

Unbeknownst to them, Cathica had just arrived to floor Five Hundred. She was standing just outside the door, listening to the Editor as he told the truth about everything.

"Then they just carry on," he continued, "living the life, strutting about downstairs on the surface of Gaia like they're so individual, when of course, they're not. They're just cattle. In that respect, the Jagrafess hasn't changed a thing."

"What about you?" asked Roseluck, "You're not a Jagracress-"

"Jagrafess."

"Jagrafess. You're not one, you're a unicorn."

"Yeah, well, simply being a unicorn doesn't pay very well."

"But you couldn't have done this all on your own," Roseluck insisted.

"No, I represent a network of banks. Money prefers a long-term investment. Also, the Jagrafess needed a little hoof to install himself."

"No wonder," the Doctor noted, "a creature that size. What's his life span?"

"Three thousand years."

"That's one hell of a metabolism generating all that heat. That's why Satellite Five is so hot. You pump it out of the creature, channel it downstairs. Jagrafess stays cool, it stays alive. Satellite Five is one great big life support system."

* * *

Update was ready to take his new brain portal for a spin. So he went back to floor one three nine and into the broadcast room. He settled into the broadcast chair and pulled out Roseluck's cell phone. He dialed home once again. When the answering machine picked up, his plan was in motion.

"It's me again, don't wipe this message. It's just going to sound like white noise but save it because I can translate. Okay?" He put the phone down and clicked his tongue, opening the chip in his forehead.

"Three, two, one, and spike." The blue information stream began to flow into the open chip, into Update, and into the open cell phone.

* * *

"But that's why you're so dangerous. Knowledge is power, but you remain unknown. Who are you?" The Editor stomped his hoof and the manacles lit up with blue electricity, shocking the Doctor and Roseluck.

"Leave her alone!" the Doctor cried when the energy had stopped, "I'm the Doctor and she's Roseluck. We're nothing, just travelers."

"Tell me who you are!" the Editor repeated.

"I just said!"

"Yes but who do you work for? Who sent you? Who knows about us? Who exactly-" he stopped. The Jagrafess growled, and the Editor smiled.

"Time-Pony," he said.

"What?"

"Oh yes, the last of the Time-Ponies in his travelling machine," the Editor continued, "With his little pony mare from long ago."

"You don't know what you're talking about."

"Time travel."

* * *

Update screamed as information began getting pulled out of his head. Everything he knew about his friends was being sucked out of his head.

* * *

"Somepony's been telling you lies," the Doctor insisted.

"Really? Mister Update has been lying?" The Editor waved at a holographic screen that had popped up. It showed Update spazzing in the broadcast chair as information was pulled from his head.

"Oh Celestia! His head!" Roseluck cried.

"What the hell has he done? What the hell's he gone and done? They're reading his mind. He's telling them everything!"

"And through him, I know everything about you," the Editor said happily, "Every piece of information in his head is now mine. And you have infinite knowledge Doctor. The Equestrian Empire is tiny compared to what you've seen in your T-A-R-D-I-S, Tardis."

"Well you're never going to get your hooves on it!" the Doctor cried, "I'll die first!"

"Die all you like," the Editor said with a shrug, "I don't need you. I've got the key!" The Key that Roseluck had gotten from the Doctor then given to Update, floated out of his pocket and hovered in the air.

"You and your boyfriends!"

"Today, we are the headlines," the Editor announced, "We can rewrite history. We could prevent ponies from ever evolving!"

"And no pony's going to stop you because you've bred a race of Equestrians who don't bother to ask questions. Stupid little slaves, believing every lie. They'll trot right into the slaughter house if they're told it's made of gold." The Jagrafess snarled, it sound kind of like a distorted laugh. Cathica, who'd watched the whole thing, turned and walked away from the door way, towards the one hidden by shredded plastic.

Inside, she threw the corpse off the broadcast chair with her magic then slid in its place. She clicked her tongue and opened the brain chip.

"Disengage safety!" the broadcast room lit up once more.

* * *

"What's happening?" demanded the Editor.

* * *

"Maximum access," Cathica instructed, "Override floor One Three Nine. (Update was disconnected from the info spike) And spike!" The information stream was activated for her and she began to use what she knew to stop the Editor.

* * *

"Somepony's disengaged the safety," the Editor stomped his hoof once more and the holo-screen changed to Cathica. "Who's that?"

"It's Cathica!" Roseluck cried happily.

"And she's thinking. She's using what she knows," the Doctor added.

"Terminate her access," the Editor ordered.

"Everything I told her about Satellite Five, the pipe, the filters, she's reversing it. Look at that!" The icicles that hung on the pipes had begun to drip, heck, it was raining. "It's warming up in here."

"I said, terminate her access!" the Editor commanded. "Burn out her mind!"

* * *

"Oh no you don't!" Cathica countered, "You should have promoted me years back!"

* * *

The computer consoles sparked violently and the frozen cadavers collapsed, their chips fried. Alarms began to blare throughout the Satellite and ponies began to panic. Roseluck felt the manacles loosen, and with a quick shake, they were off.

"She's venting the heat up here," the Doctor exclaimed, "The Jagrafess needs to stay cool, and now it's sitting on a volcano." The Jagrafess roared as it began to warm up with the rest of the room.

"Yes, I'm trying sir," the Editor stammered, "But I don't know how she did it! It's impossible! A member of staff with an idea." The Editor shoved Suki out of her seat and began to use the computers himself to stop Cathica, but to no avail. Roseluck was trying to free the Doctor, she gotten out his Sonic Screwdriver but she had no clue what to do with it.

"What do I do?" she asked, trying not to drop it.

"Flick the switch!" then he spoke to the Editor as Roseluck undid the shackles. "Oi, mate, want to bank on a certainty? Massive heat in a massive body, massive bang." The manacles unclasped and the Doctor was free. He took the Sonic back, and as they ran out of the room, he cried, "See you in the headlines!" The Jagrafess began to fall apart, chunks of flesh falling from it.

"Actually sir," the Editor said giving up on the computer, "If it's all the same to you, I think I'll resign. Bye!" but instead of leaving, he couldn't move from that spot. Suki had grabbed him and was holding him back. Literally.

"Let go of me! Let go! AGH!" and the mighty Jagrafess of the Holy Hadrojassic Maxanrodenfoe exploded.

* * *

"We're just going to go. I hate tidying up. Too many questions. You'll manage."

"You'll have to stay and explain it. No pony's going to believe me."

"Oh they might start believing a lot of things now," the Doctor said, "The Equestrian race should accelerate. All back to normal."

"What about your friend?" asked Cathica, referring to Update who was standing by the Tardis.

"He's not my friend." The Doctor stood up and walked over to the Tardis. He was glaring daggers at Update, Roseluck tried to stop him but he walked right up to Update.

"I'm alright now," Update stammered, "Much better. And I've got the key. Look, it's- it all worked out in the end, didn't it? You know it's not actually my fault because you were-" he was cut off because at that moment the Doctor had shoved him into the Tardis.

* * *

When they landed once again, Update was shoved back out of the Tardis. He gasped and smield.

"It's my house, I'm home! Oh my Celestia I'm home! Why am I home?" he asked.

"Is there something else you want to share?" asked the Doctor coming out of the Tardis with Roseluck.

"No, what do you mean?" asked Update. The Doctor walked over to the telephone machine, "The archive of Satellite Five. One second of that message could've changed the world." He pulled out the sonic and scanned the phone. It sparked, then exploded destroying the porcelain clown that had sat next to it.

"That's it then, see you!" the Doctor said walking back to the Tardis.

"How do you mean?" asked Update.

"I mean, good, bye."

"But what about me? You can't just go I've got a door in my head! My horn opens!"

"You man like this?" the Doctor clicked his tongue opening the brain door.

"Don't," Update said annoyed before closing it.

"Don't do what?" Open.

"Stop it!" Closed.

"Alright now Doctor, that's enough. Stop it," Roseluck said.

"Thank you." She smirked and opened the door.

"Hey!"

"Sorry, couldn't resist."

"The whole of history could've change because of you," the Doctor said sternly.

"I just wanted to help."

"You were helping yourself."

"And I'm sorry. I've said I'm sorry, and I am, I really am, but you can't just leave me!"

"Yes I can, 'cause if you show that head to anypony, they'll lock you up for testing. You'll have to live a very quiet life, keep out of trouble, be normal. Good luck."

"But I want to come with you!" The Doctor stepped out of the Tardis doorway and looked at Update, "I only take the best, I've got Roseluck." And he walked inside the box. Update glanced at Roseluck, she shook her head sadly and stepped into the Tardis closing the door behind her.

"Who's that?" called a voice from other parts of the house, "Geo is that you?"

"It's me mum," Update answered sadly as the Tardis began to dematerialize. He couldn't hear his mother's reply because the Tardis drowned it out. And just as it dematerialized, Update's mother trotted into the room. She started at her son and smiled.

"Oh my, it is good to see you Update. It's like I saw you yesterday. I heard you've been getting into trouble Update, _tut tut_." She clicked her tongue in disapproval. Whoops.

_To be continued in Father's Day..._

**Me: Okay, everypony I want you to know, I hate this episode. You've got to admit, Update/Adam is pretty stupid. And, I've got more to say than just disclaimers.**

**There's going to be a break in updates until June 29****th****, I'm going on vacation and won't be able to update. Sorry y'all. If it makes you feel better, I'm going to crazy not being able to write.  
**

**So, Hasbro owns the Fourth Great and Bountiful Equestrian Empire. BBC owns Satellite Five and the idiot who was Adam. And until the twenty-ninth of June tow thousand thirteen, this is Storygirl90, signing off.  
**


	8. Episode 8, Father's Day

Doctor Whooves

_Father's Day_

**In this episode of Doctor Whooves, there will be a few sections in italics or **_**this type of font,**_** those will be sections of Roseluck's memory. How she remembers her mother telling her about Lucky Clover, her dad.**

Roseluck's father died when she was barely one year old. Not old enough to remember him. But Lilly-Luck had told her about her father enough times that it was like she had remembered him. When Roseluck was about five was when Lilly told her how Clover had died. But she didn't tell the whole story.

That day, Lilly had been feeling nostalgic. She had found her old photo album, and had been flipping through, remembering good times. Then little Roseluck came in, carrying a teddy bear. Lilly looked up at her daughter and patted the bed, "Come here Roseluck, I have something I want to show you." The filly climbed up next to her mum and looked at the photos. Most of them were of a stallion, with wild black hair, a grey coat, green eyes that matched Roseluck's, and three four-leafed clovers for a cutie mark.

"Do you know who that is?" asked Lilly-luck, "That's your daddy. You weren't old enough to remember when he died. 981, 7th of November. That was the day Sun Dancer and Strong Hooves got married." Lilly ruffled her daughter's mane, "Oh he would've loved to see you now."

* * *

"That's what mum always says," Roseluck said, "So, I was thinking, could we… could we go and see my dad while he was alive?" She was leaning against the Tardis controls.

"Where'd this come from all of a sudden?" asked the Doctor, tossing a small riveted sphere back and forth between his hooves. He was sitting across from her in the captain's chair.

"All right then," Roseluck said defensively, "If we can't, if it goes against the laws of time or something, than never mind, just leave it."

"No, we can go. I'm just worried about you," he replied.

"I want to see him."

"Your wish is my command, but be careful what you wish for."

* * *

In the Ponyville town hall, the marriage of Lucky Clover and Lilly Valley was taking place. All of their friends had come, even a few they didn't know. Mayor Mare herself was uniting them in holy matrimony.

"Do you, Lucky Clover, take Lilly Valley to be you lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do," Clover replied, smiling at his beloved.

"Do you, Lilly Valley, take Lucky Clover to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do," Lilly replied. In the back of the hall, Roseluck and the Doctor were both watching.

"I thought he'd be taller," Roseluck whispered as the ceremony ended.

_He died so close to home, I wasn't there, nopony was. It was run away cart. Never found out who it belonged to. He was already dead when the medics got there. I only wish there'd been somepony there for him._

"I want to be that somepony. So he doesn't die alone."

"November the 7th?"

"981."

* * *

When they arrived on the day that Roseluck had indicated, it was bright and sunny. The sky above Ponyville (yes, we're in Ponyville, get used to it.) was clear of clouds and a gentle breeze ruffled the trees. It was an ordinary day in general.

Roseluck stepped out of the Tardis and looked around. The Doctor stepped out beside her and closed the doors.

"It's so weird," she muttered, "The day my father died. I thought it'd be all gloomy, but it's just an ordinary day."

"The past is another country," the Doctor remarked, "981's just a year. Are you sure about this?"

"Yeah." Together, they walked towards town hall, where the wedding of Sun Dancer and Strong Hooves was supposed to take place. They stopped at a street corner one block away, the road there was at steep incline. If one were to trip, anything they were carrying would go tumbling down the hill.

"This is it," Roseluck sighed, "Northfield Road. He was late, he'd been getting a wedding present, a vase. Mum always said, that stupid vase." A grey stallion, with black hair, came trotting over the hill top. A vase was sticking out of his saddle bag, tied with a ribbon.

"He came down the hill, and turned to cross the road." Clover stopped halfway down the hill and turned, he crossed the road at a diagonal headed towards the hall. Suddenly, a cart laden with heavy crates came barreling down the hill.

"Oh no this is it," Roseluck said as the cart neared her father. The Doctor reached over and held her hoof. Clover had only just glanced up when the cart rolled right over him. Roseluck cringed and hid her face in the Doctor's jacket. The cart continued to roll down the street, leaving Lucky Clover stranded and injured.

"Go to him, quick," the Doctor said. But Roseluck stayed where she was, watching. As somepony began to call for help, she turned and ran, hiding around the corner in an alley. The Doctor followed and found her sitting against the wall, her head in her hooves.

"It's too late now," she said, "By the time anypony got there he was already dead. He can't die alone, can I try again?" She looked up at the Doctor hopefully, he had a look that said "Yes, but I don't like it."

* * *

The Doctor looked around the corner, and saw himself standing with Roseluck at the curb the first time around. Roseluck looked around as well.

"Right, that's the first you and me," he explained, "It's very risky for you to do this, with two sets of us and all. Just be careful they don't see you. Wait till she runs off and he follows, then go to your dad." Clover trotted over the hilltop.

"Oh no this is it," Roseluck 1 said.

"I can't do this," Roseluck said.

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to, but this is your last chance." Then, just as Clover was crossing the dirt road and the cart had come over the hill top, Roseluck galloped out of their hiding place towards her father. "Roseluck no!" She ran right in front of her past self and past Doctor out into the road. She leapt and tackled Lucky Clover out of the way, rolling both of them into a hay bale. The earlier Doctor and Roseluck looked at each other then vanished in a flash of gold.

When Roseluck had recovered from the tumble, she looked at her father, alive and well, and smiled.

"I did it," she said, "I saved your life."

"Blimey, did you see how fast that thing was going?" asked Clover.

"I really did it. Oh my Celestia look at you, you're alive! That cart was going to kill you."

"Give me some credit, I did see it coming. I wasn't going to walk under it, was I?"

"I'm Roseluck," she said, still smiling.

"That's a coincidence, that's my daughter's name.

"That's a great name, good choice, well done." Lucky Clover got back onto his hooves and dusted himself off.

"Right, I'd better shift. I've got a big wedding to go to."

"Is that Sun Dancer's wedding?" asked Roseluck, also standing up.

"Yeah, are you going?"

"Yeah."

"You and your boyfriend need a lift?" Roseluck glanced over at the Doctor, expecting a look of "well done", but all she got was a glare.

* * *

"Right, there we go. Sorry about the mess. If you need anything to eat, kitchen's just down there, milk's in the fridge. Well, it would be wouldn't it? Where else would you put milk?" rambled Lucky Clover as he and the time travelers entered his house. "Anyway, I'll just be a moment. Go to get spruced up for the big wedding." And he trotted off. Roseluck was still smiling, the Doctor, eh, not so much.

"Mum kept all of his stuff," she said, looking about the house at the familiar furniture and bit and bobs. "She kept it all packed away in boxes in the cupboard. She used to show me when she'd had a bit of a drink. Now here it is, on display." She picked a trophy off the shelf, "Third prize in bowling. First two went to the Zebrean islands." She turned and saw a pile of bottles and jugs. "Health drinks, tonics was what mum called them. He made his money selling this Vitex stuff. He had all sorts of jobs, so clever." Roseluck glanced at the table and saw blueprints spread across it, "TV, mum said he was going to do it, now he can." She looked up at the Doctor who still looked a bit miffed.

"Okay, I'll tell him your not my boyfriend."

"When we met, I said travel in space and you said no. I said time machine and you hopped onboard."

"It wasn't some big plan," Roseluck protested, "I just saw it happening and though, hey, I can stop this."

"I did it again," the Doctor complained, "picked another stupid mare. I should've known. It's not about sharing the universe, no, it's about getting the universe to do something for you."

"So it's okay when you go to other times and you save people's lives, but not when it's me saving my dad?" asked Roseluck

"I know what I'm doing, you don't. Two sets of us being there made that a vulnerable point."

"But he's alive!"

"My entire planet died my whole family. Do you think it never occurred to me to go back and save them?"

"But it's not like I've changed history. Not much. I mean, he's never going to be a world leader. He's not going to start World War Two or anything."

"Roseluck, there's a stallion alive in the world who shouldn't be. An ordinary stallion. That's the most important thing in creation. The whole world's different because he's alive."

"What, would rather him dead?"

"I'm not saying that."

"No, I get it! For once, you're not the most important stallion in my life."

"Let's see how you get along without me then," he held out his hoof. "Give me the key, the Tardis key. If I'm so insignificant, give it back to me."

"Alright then, I will," Roseluck dug it out of her denim blue jacket and handed it over.

"You've got what you wanted, so that's goodbye then." He turned, and trotted towards the door.

"You don't scare me!" Roseluck yelled after him, "I know how sad you are! You'll be back in a minute, or you'll hang around the Tardis waiting for me! And I'll make you wait a long time!" _Slam!_ The front door was shut with such ferocity that a picture standing on the table beside it fell onto the floor and shattered. Lucky Clover looked around the edge of his bedroom door, "Boyfriend trouble?"

* * *

Something was flying, no, sneaking through the skies of Ponyville. It's mission: sterilize the wound. What wound? You'll know later. But there were hundreds of these invisible hunters, all over the planet. Searching, and devouring.

Rarity was outside, she was hanging up a brand new dress that needed to be wind dried on the line. Down the road, Fluttershy was doing some shopping . Even elsewhere, Pinkie Pie was, well, being Pinkie Pie. None of them noticed the hunters until it was too late, and the creatures were right on top of them. They were devoured, and they weren't the first to be, nor the last.

* * *

Roseluck was doing a little tidying up in Clover's flat, mostly out of habit because Lilly would scream at her every time she left a pop bottle on the coffee table. So seeing it a mess just nagged at her to be cleaned. Lucky Clover came out of his room, still straightening his tie, and saw what Roseluck was doing.

"Excuse, do you mind? What're you tidying up for?" he asked.

"Sorry," she replied putting the stuff down and sitting, "Force of habit."

"Listen, don't worry about him. Couples fight all the time."

"We're not a couple! Why does everypony think we're a couple? I think he left me."

"What, a pretty mare like you? If I was going out with you-"

"Stop right there."

"I was just saying-"

"I know what you're saying, and we're not going there. At no point are we going anywhere near there. I don't want to think about there and neither do you, because that there is like, the Bearmuda Triangle for both of us." (eh? Get it? Bear-muda Triangle? Anypony? No…)

"Blimey, you know how to flatter a bloke." Roseluck stood up and motioned towards the door.

"So… shouldn't we get going?" she asked.

"*clears throat* Uh yeah, let's get going." Together they trotted outside.

"So us hanging out together won't give mixed signals?"

"Absolutely not."

"I'll take you back to the loony bin if you need, except I'm sure that I've met you somewhere before."

* * *

In the town hall, the groom Strong Hooves was getting nervous. Like, almost "Get me out of here" nervous. But not "I'm running out on my own wedding" nervous. He was nervous because only roughly one fourth of the guests that had sent RSVP's weren't there.

"It's so weird," he said, nervously shifting his weight and flicking his tail.

"What?" asked his father.

"There's so many ponies missing," he said, glancing back at the almost empty hall. "Aunt and Uncle Cake, Lyra, all the Banners. Where are they? You don't hink something's gone wrong?"

"Maybe it's a sign," his dad remarked, "It gives you time to think. You don't have to go through with it, not these days. Live your life a bit more first."

"Dad…"

"In ten years time, you'll turn 'round and say, 'if only I could turn back the clock'." Suddenly, the temperature seemed to drop sharply, making both father and son shiver.

"Is it me or did it just get cold?"

* * *

The Doctor walked through the, strangely, quiet streets of Ponyville. Yes, if the circumstances had been different, he would've noticed and figured something was wrong. But, considering he was mad enough to have steam coming out of his ears, he didn't notice. As he approached the Tardis, something wasn't right. I mean, the weirdness was finally starting to register.

The Doctor kept looking around, trying to find whatever was watching him. But he couldn't, it kept evading his gaze. He tried to shake the feeling as he unlocked the Tardis. Then he noticed something, the key didn't feel extra warm as it normally did when inserted into the Tardis lock, and the hum of the Heart of the Tardis was gone. He threw the doors open, and saw the inside of a phone box.

No space age-y cathedral, no Tardis control panel, just the inside of a blue box. The Doctor stepped in, he pressed the walls and checked everywhere. But the answer was obvious, the Tardis was gone. The phone box was just a shell. And that meant…

"Roseluck!" And he galloped out of there, worried about his friend and every other pony on that planet.

* * *

"I met this bloke at the hall once, and now he's cutting me in on copyright!" Lucky Clover rambled as he and Roseluck walked through Ponyville

"But I thought you were a proper business stallion," Roseluck replied.

"I wish!" Clover said, "I do a bit of this and a bit of that. I scrape by."

"Right, I must've heard wrong. So really, you're a bit of a, clueless worker?"

"Oh shoot me down in flames. You're not related to my wife by any chance, are you?"

"Oh my gosh, she's going to be at the wedding."

"What, Lilly? Do you know her?"

"Sort of."

"What's she told you about me?"

"She said she'd picked the most fantastic stallion in Equestria."

"Must be a different Lilly, then. She'd never say that." Roseluck was kind of confused, and it didn't help that somepony was listening to rap music. Wait, rap music way before its time? Roseluck glanced towards the music and saw a super early old style gramophone singing out not old time blues but a Tropical Octav3, rap included.

"This goes right over my head," Clover continued, unaware of the odd music.

"That's not out yet," Roseluck muttered.

"It's a good job and all."

"Hold on a moment, I've got to check my messages." Roseluck stopped walking and pulled out her cell phone.

"How do you mean messages? What is that thing?" asked Clover staring at the little device. Roseluck put it up to her ear, and listened. She heard: "_Wattson, _(watt as in electricity) _come here, I need you. Wattson, come here, I need you._" It kept repeating it, over and over again. She put away the phone and continued walking.

As they reached the bottom of the hill, the one where Lucky Clover should've died, the same cart as before came over the top and barreled towards them. But they turned the corner just as it rolled past vanishing in a flash of gold.

* * *

Strong Hoof went outside and found his dad waiting out there.

"Dad! Get inside. We can't see the bride before the wedding. It's bad luck."

"It was bad luck when you met her," his father replied, "I tell you, this day is cursed." And he had no idea how cursed it really was. The two stallions went back inside the building just as a white coach was pulled up by two of the groom-stallions. The side door opened and out stepped Sun Dancer, her wedding dress was covered with embroidered flowers and pink lace.

"Now that's what I call a meringue," complimented Daisy. (old friend of Lilly-luck's and fellow bridesmaid)

"Listen, Strong's dad said to go 'round the block once more 'cos there are ponies missing," another bridesmaid Fire Flower said. (Yes, an unashamed Mario reference.)

"How do you mean?" asked Sun Dancer.

"There's no Pinkie, no Lyra, no Bee," Daisy elaborated.

"There's nopony from the Lamb and Flag," Fire Flower added. Sun Dancer started to walk but her bridal train came off.

"Oh dear, my train's detatched again. I knew I should've used Velcro," she said, trying and unable to fix it back on. The other door of the coach opened and Lilly-luck stepped out, carrying a baby basket on her shoulder.

"I'm here," she called, "Stop your complaining." She walked 'round to the other side of the coach and began to help. "Daisy, could you take Roseluck for a sec?" Daisy took the tiny filly from Lilly-luck.

"Oh, ain't she pretty," Daisy said, baby Roseluck giggled.

"She's a little madam, that's what she is," Lilly-luck replied. "Oh I need more hooves. Where's her useless article of a dad got to?"

Just then, Lucky Clover and Roseluck turned a corner and came trotting up the road. Ironically, the turn they made earlier to avoid the cart, brought them around in a hug circle back to the wedding hall. So they were walking down the road at the foot of the hill once more. And what should happen, but the cart reappeared a-gain and tried to run them down.

"Dad!" Roseluck cried as she spotted it rumbling towards them. They darted off the road and it barely missed them.

"It's that cart," Clover stammered, "Same one as before. It was right in front of us, where's it gone?" He turned to Roseluck. "You called me dad, what'd you say that for?"

"Oh wonderful! Here he is, the accident waiting to happen! You'd be late for your own funeral and it nearly was!" Lilly-luck said sarcastically, walking up to the two.

"No damage done," Clover replied.

"And who's this?" Lilly demanded, "what're you looking at with your mouth open?" Roseluck had been staring at her mother with wide eyes and dropped jaw.

"Your mane," she said, referring to Lilly's extra curly blond mane.

"What?!"

"I've never seen it like- I mean, it's lovely. Your mane's lovely," Roseluck said, catching herself before she spit it out that she was from the future. "And that foal your holding, she's lovely too."

"Another one of yours is she?" Lilly asked Clover angrily.

"She saved my life!"

"Oh that's a new one. What was it last time?"

"I didn't even know her. She was the attendant at the Laundromat at the time; she was helping me look for my wallet, that I'd lost, and somehow the rack collapsed. We were buried under all this stuff."

"Were you playing around?" asked Roseluck.

"What's it got to do with you what he gets up to?"

"What does he get up to?"

"You'd know."

"Oh, 'cos I'm that stupid," Lucky Clover snapped, "I mess around and I bring her to meet the missus."

"But you are that stupid," Lilly-luck snapped back.

"Can we keep this stuff back home for now?"

"What, with the rest of the rubbish? You bring home cut-price detergents, tonic water, 'brand new' tapes, and none of it works. I'm drowning in your rubbish. What did you tell her, that you were some big business stallion, 'cos you're not! You're a failure! A born failure! Roseluck needs a proper father, not one who's mucking about like some big colt."

"Lilly, I'm making a living, it keeps us fed, don't it?"

"STOP IT!" the adult Roseluck cried, tired of this bickering nonsense. "You're not like this, you love each other."

"Oh Clover, you never used to like them mental. Or, I don't know, maybe you did," Lilly-luck said snottily before turning and trotting off to the hall.

"Lilly! Wait, just listen!"

"If you're not careful, there'll be a wedding and a divorce on the same day!" Clover groaned in frustration, then he turned to Roseluck.

"Wait here, give me a couple minutes with Lilly. The wedding's going to begin soon so wait here, and don't cause any more trouble." He took the vase from her then turned and followed his wife into the hall.

* * *

There was a playground, less than a block away from the town hall. So one of the guests had taken her son there to play until it was time for the wedding. The little Pegasus colt, who looked frighteningly familiar with a turquoise coat and short green mane, was on the swing. Three other little foals were at the park, one on the slide, two on the seesaw. The colt turned to call out to one of his new friends, but he'd vanished halfway down the slide. The colt turned and looked the other way, the boys on the seesaw were gone too. Then his mother was no longer pushing him.

The terrified foal jumped off the swings and ran for his life as fast as his little hooves could carry him. (and if you haven't figured out who it is, the little colt is kid Gear who is pony-fied Mickey Smith.)

* * *

Lilly-luck and Lucky Clover were still arguing, Clover kept trying to apologize but she wouldn't listen. Roseluck was sitting under a tree next to the town hall, watching the whole thing. Suddenly, the colt form the playground came running up the sidewalk crying: "Monsters! They're going to eat us!" He ran right up the steps into the town hall.

"What sort of monsters?" Fire Flower asked, "Are they aliens?" And just as she said that, Roseluck looked down the road and saw the Doctor running towards them.

"Roseluck! Get in the church!" he cried. There was a screech like that of a giant bat. The creature that appeared in the air looked like somepony had combined a bat, a crab, and a scorpion to create this awful creature. It had glowing red eyes and a pair of massive claws. It screeched once more then dove for Roseluck. But the Doctor tackled her pushing her out of the way.

"Get in the church!" the Doctor cried again. Two more appeared in front of the hall.

"Oh my gosh! What are those things?" asked Fire Flower absolutely terrified.

"Inside!" A crowd had gathered at the door of the Town hall, Strong Hoof was in the lead.

"Sun Dancer!" he called.

"Stay in there!" the Doctor ordered. Only one stallion didn't listen, can you guess who that was? It was Strong Hoof's dad, he broke from the crowd and tried to run. But one of the creatures dove and caught him. In less than a moment, he was devoured. Sun Dancer tried to run for the hall, but one of those things blocked the way. She screamed, and it chose another target. Mayor Mare, who was standing on the edge of the crowd.

With two of three creatures eliminated, the path was clear.

"In!" Almost everypony made it into the Town Hall without getting eaten. The Doctor closed the doors as the last bridesmaid darted in. Through highest windows, the creatures' shadows showed through them throwing odd shapes on the floor.

"They can't get in," the Doctor said, "Old windows and doors. Okay, the older something is, the stronger it is. What else? Go and check the other doors! Move!" He, and most of the others split up to check all the doors and windows. Lilly-luck followed the Doctor demanding for answers.

"What's happening?" she asked, "What are they? What are they?"

"There's been an accident in time," he said, while locking the door, "A wound in time. They're like bacteria, taking advantage."

"What do you mean time? What're you jabbering on about?" asked Lilly bordering on hysterics.

"Oh I might've known you'd complain. Lilly, I'm sick of your complaining."

"How do you know my name?"

"I haven't got time for this.

"I've never met you in my life!"

"No, and you never will unless I sort this out. Now, if you don't mind, I've waited a long time to say this. Lilly-luck, do as I say. Go, and check, the doors," the Doctor ordered. Lilly looked startled for a moment, before saying "Yes sir," and running off. The Doctor smiled.

"I should've done that ages ago."

"Excuse me," the Doctor turned and found himself face to face with the groom.

"I'm sorry about your dad but there's nothing I can do," the Doctor said turning back to the door.

"I wasn't going to say anything about that," Strong Hoof said a bit miffed, "I tried to use the phone to call for help, but I just keep getting the same message."

"What message?"

"_Wattson, come here, I need you. Wattson, come here, I need you._ It keeps saying it over and over."

"That's the first phone call," the Doctor explained, "I don't think phones are going to be much use."

"But somepony must've called for the police."

"Police can't help you now. Nopony can. Nothing in this universe can harm those things. Time's been damaged," the Doctor made eye contact with Roseluck, "and they've come to sterilize the wound." He walked over to her. "By consuming everything inside."

"Is this because- Is this my fault?" asked Roseluck, guilt beginning to settle like ash.

* * *

Outside, those creatures were running loose over Equestria and the whole planet. Eating everything just like the Doctor had said. Carts drifted, unmanned, across streets. Toys and meals were left, uneaten and un-played with. Shreds of fabric drifted along in the breeze that had picked up. Smoke rose from Canterlot into the sky, but there was no screaming.

There was only silence.

* * *

In the back room of the Town hall, like the hidden back room, Lucky Clover and the Doctor were making sure the doors were locked and the windows barred.

"There's smoke coming from Canterlot," Clover reported, "But no Pegasus coming to say nothing's wrong, no Pegasus at all actually. I don't think it's just us. I think these things are all over the place. Maybe the whole world." He stared out the window at the empty road, and caught sight of the wooden cart that had almost killed him twice roll down the hill and vanish in front of the Town hall

"Was that a cart?"

"It's not important," the Doctor said, closing the window, "Don't worry about it."

* * *

Roseluck was staring out the window when Lucky Clover came back out of the Town Hall back room. He walked over next to her and looked out the window.

"This mate of yours," he began, "What did he mean, this is your fault?"

"Don't know, just everything," She replied solemnly.

"I let you come to my house. You don't bring strangers into your house. It's, it's like I trusted you. Moment I met you, I just did." He looked at Roseluck, "Wound in time, you called me dad. I can see it, my eyes, Lilly's attitude. The way you sound like her when you shout." He touched Roseluck's cheek, "You are, you are. You're my Roseluck. You're my Roseluck all grown up." Roseluck reached forward and hugged her dad, struggling to hold back tears. Clover hugged his daughter back, also choking on tears.

"Dad. My dad," she said, "My daddy."

* * *

_Slam!_ The creature slammed into the door again, the Doctor jerked back in surprise. He pulled out his Sonic Screwdriver and scanned the lock. It locked, making the door safer. Strong Hoof and Sun Dancer walked up, both of them were scared.

"Excuse me, mister…"

"Doctor."

"You seem to know what's going on."

"I give that impression, yeah."

"I just wanted to ask-"

"Can you save us?" asked Sun Dancer.

"Who are you two then?" asked the Doctor.

"Strong Hoof."

"Sun Dancer."

"And one extra, colt or filly?" Sun Dancer blushed slightly at the mention of her coming foal that almost nopony knew about.

"I don't know. Don't want to know really."

"How did all this get started?"

"Outside a club in Manehatten, two in the morning."

"Street corner, I'd lost my purse, and didn't have any money for a taxi."

"I chipped in and took her home."

"Then what? Asked her out on a date?"

"He wrote his address on the back of my hoof."

"Never got rid of her since. My dad said-" Sun Dancer cut him off.

"I don't know what this is all about, and I know we're not important."

"Who said you're not important?" asked the Doctor, "I've traveled to all sorts of places, done things you couldn't even imagine, but you two. Street corner, two in the morning, getting a taxi home. I've never had a life like that. Yes, I'll try to save you."

* * *

Now it was Roseluck and Clover's turn to be in the back room. Just, chatting. Like Dads and their little girls should be able to do.

"I'm a dad," he said with the biggest smile, "I mean, I'm already a dad. But Roseluck grows up and she's you! That's wonderful. I mean, I suppose I thought that you'd be a bit useless, what with my useless genes and all, but. Well, I mean, how did you get here?" Roseluck stopped giggling.

"Do you really want to know?" she asked.

"Yeah."

"A time machine," she replied.

"A, time machine…"

"Cross my heart."

"What, do you all have time machines where you come from?"

"No, well, except for time travel spells and those only work once. But, only pony with a time machine is the Doctor."

"Did you know these things were coming?"

"No."

"This is madness, my head's spinning. What's the future like?"

"It's not so different." (With the exception of a lot more crazy!)

"What am I like?" asked Lucky Clover, "Have I gone grey?" Roseluck didn't reply. "Have I gone bald? Don't tell me I've gone bald." Roseluck still had no reply. And after a moment, Clover changed the subject.

"So, if this mate of yours isn't your boyfriend and I have to say, I'm glad, being your dad and all, I think he's a bit old for you. Have you got a bloke?"

"Not at the moment, I did have-"

"Gear!" the scared little colt dashed in and grabbed hold of Roseluck. Lilly-luck walked in after him.

"Do you know him?" asked Clover.

"I just didn't recognize him in a suit," Roseluck replied, "You have to let go of me sweetheart." Gear let go and walked over to Lilly.

"He just grabs hold of what's passing and holds on for dear life," Lilly joked, "Celestia help his marefriend if he ever gets one."

"Me and Roseluck were just talking," Clover said.

"Oh yeah? Talking? While the world comes to an end, what do you do? Cling to the youngest filly. Come on Gear."' And Lilly-luck left in huff.

"You can't tell her," Roseluck said quickly.

"Why?" asked Lucky Clover.

"I mean, I really don't want you to tell her."

"What, do you not want ponies to know?"

"Where I come from, Lilly doesn't know how to work the timer on the microwave."

"I showed her that last week." Roseluck looked at him, one eyebrow raised in a look that said "and your point is?"

"Point taken."

* * *

"Now Roseluck, you're not going to bring about the end of the world, are you? Are you?" the filly just laughed and waved her hooves. The Doctor was taking care of baby Roseluck, why had Lilly-luck thought that was a good idea? The adult Roseluck walked up right behind them, the Doctor glanced back at her.

"Lilly gave her to me to look after. Oh how times change," he mused, the little filly was chewing on the Sonic now, how'd she gotten a hold of that?

"I'd better be careful," Roseluck said, "I think I just imprinted on Gear like a mother chicken." Roseluck reached forward to take the sonic out of baby Roseluck's mouth, but the Doctor grabbed her hoof and pushed it back.

"No, don't touch the baby," he warned, "You're both the same pony. That's a paradox, and we don't want a paradox happening, not with those things outside. Any other disturbances in time make them stronger. The paradox might let them in."

"Can't do anything right can I?" asked Roseluck, sitting down on the floor.

"Since you ask, no. So don't, touch, the baby."

"I'm not stupid," Roseluck snapped.

"You could've fooled me." Roseluck's shoulders drooped and she hung her head in defeat.

"All right, I'm sorry," the Doctor apologized, "I wasn't really going to leave you on your own."

"I know."

"But between you and me, I haven't got a plan. No idea. No way out,"

"You'll think of something."

"All of Gaia's been sterilized. This, and other places like it, are all that's left of the Equestrian race. We might hold out for a while but nothing can stop those things. They'll get through in the end. The walls aren't that old. And there's nothing I can do to stop them." The Doctor sighed, "There used to be laws stopping this kind of thing from happening. My people would have stopped this. But they're all gone. And now I'm going the same way."

"If I'd realized-"

"Just tell me you're sorry."

"I am," Roseluck said, "I'm sorry." They hugged. Roseluck felt something inside hot inside his jacket. She stepped back, "Have you got something hot in your pocket?" she asked. He reached in and pulled out a glowing hot Tardis key, which he immediately dropped after it singed his hoof.

"It's the Tardis key!" he cried, he took off his jacket and used it to grab the key without burning himself.

"It's telling me it's still connected to the Tardis," he said happily. He galloped to the front of the hall and whistled to get the attention.

"The inside of my ship was thrown out of the wound but we can use this-" he held up the glowing key, "to bring it back. And once I've got my ship back, then I can fix this mess. I just need a bit of power to jumpstart it, has anypony got a battery?" Strong Hoof looked at the watch on his wrist, and remembered that it did run on a battery and not wind-up clockworkery. (yes, it's a word)

"Will a watch battery be enough?" he called.

"Fantastic," the Doctor replied. Strong hoof took off his watch and galloped up to the front, he handed the watch to the Doctor who pulled out his Sonic with his teeth and began to scan it.

"There we go," he said through clenched teeth, "Just need to charge it up a bit then we can bring everypony back."

* * *

While the Doctor was working to save the world, Roseluck and Clover were chatting again.

"You uh, you never said why you came here in the first place," Lucky Clover noted, "If I had a time machine, I wouldn't have thought 981 was anything special. Not 'round here anyways."

"We just ended up here," Roseluck lied.

"Lucky for me eh? If you hadn't been there to save me."

"That was a coincidence. That was just really good luck."

"So, in the future, are me and Lilly still together?"

"Yeah."

"Are you living with us?"

"yep."

"Am I a good dad?" That one stopped Roseluck, is she answered, she could be completely wrong! He could've been the kind of dad who works his kids half to death or is never home. Or he could've been the overprotective dad who wants his little girl to stay little forever. But, as a Pegasus might say, she just had to wing it.

"You, you told me a bedtime story every night when I was small," she began, "You were always there, never missed one. And uh, you took us for picnics in the country every Saturday. You never let me down, you tried to be there all the time. Somepony I could really rely on."

"That's not me."

* * *

As the battery supercharged the Tardis key, it glowed brighter and brighter, and then it literally floated out of the Doctor's hoof. It seemed to slide into an invisible lock, then the lock formed around it. Faintly, but the Tardis appeared as outlines of gold energy with its signature _vworp_-ing. With each _vworp_ it became more and more visible, more and more tinted blue.

"Right, nopony touches that key. Got that? Don't touch it. Anypony touches it and its all over. Just leave it and we'll be fine. Sun Dancer, Strong Hoof, you're going to get married, I promise."

His task accomplished, the Doctor trotted back and sat next to Roseluck.

"What happens when time gets sorted out?" she asked, glancing back at Lucky Clover.

"Everypony forgets what happened," the Doctor explained, "And don't worry, the thing you changed will stay changed."

"You mean I'll still be alive?" Clover interrupted, "'cos I'm meant to be dead. That's why I haven't done anything with my life, why I didn't mean anything."

"It doesn't work like that."

"Rubbish, I'm so useless I can't even die properly. It's my fault this happened," he said miserably.

"This is my fault," Rosleuck said.

"No love, I'm your dad, it's my job for it to be my fault."

"Her dad? How are you her dad?" asked Lilly-luck, appearing suddenly with baby Roseluck, "How old were you, twelve? That's disgusting."

"Lilly, listen, this is Roseluck-"

"Roseluck? How sick is that? You give my daughter a second hoof name? How many are there? Do you call them all Roseluck?"

"Oh for Pete's sake," he took Roseluck out of Lilly's hooves, "Look! It's the same Roseluck!" And then he did probably one of the stupidest things I have ever seen on Doctor who since Adam got a door in his head. He handed the baby to Roseluck who tried not to take her, but it was too late. They'd already made contact.

There was another screech and a creature appeared in the hall. Ponies immediately began screaming in panic.

"Everypony behind me!" the Doctor cried, "I'm the oldest thing here!" They all ran and gathered behind the Doctor hoping for protection. But they neglected to notice what the Doctor was doing. He was sacrificing himself to save them.

"Doctor!" the creature dove down and landed on the Doctor, devouring him in seconds. Everypony scattered, and as the creature turned to chase, it flew through the reappearing Tardis. With another scream, it and the Tardis vanished, leaving a cold metal key behind. Roseluck gave baby Roseluck back to Lilly and ran forward. She grabbed the key.

"It's cold. The key's cold," she muttered, panic beginning to settle. "Oh my gosh, he's dead. This is all my fault. Both of you, all of you, the whole world, we're all going to die because of me!"

"This is it, there's nothing we can do, it's the end!" Daisy cried. And she was right, because outside, those things were starting to scraped parts of the wall away. It looked like the end, and it almost was. But when Lucky Clover looked out the window and saw the cart that nearly killed him roll down the hill again, he knew what he had to do.

He walked over to Roseluck.

"The Doctor really cared about you," he said, "He didn't want you to go through it again, not if there was another way. Now there isn't."

"What are you talking about?" asked Roseluck.

"The cart that should've killed me, its still here. The Doctor worked it out way back, but he, he tried to protect me. Still, he's not in charge anymore. I am."

"But you can't," Roseluck protested, starting to cry again.

"Who am I love?" asked Clover resting his hoof on her cheek.

"My daddy," she said, actually crying now.

"Lilly, look at her, she's ours," he said. Lilly looked at Roseluck, and she saw it too.

"Oh my gosh," Lilly-luck hugged her weeping daughter.

"I'm meant to be dead Lilly," Lucky Clover explained, "You're going to get rid of me at last."

"Don't say that," Lilly begged.

"For once in your life, trust me. It's got to be done. You've got to survive, because you've got to bring up our daughter." He looked to Roseluck, "I never read you those bedtime stories, I never took you on those picnics, I was never there for you."

"But you would have been," Roseluck said.

"I can do this for you now, I can be a proper dad."

"But it's not fair!"

"I've had all these extra hours. Nopony else in the world has ever had that. And on top of that, I got to see you. And you're beautiful. How lucky am I? So come on, do as your dad says. Are you going to be there for me?" Roseluck nodded. "Thanks for saving me." He leaned forward and kissed his daughter, who was crying harder than ever before. Lucky Clover turned around, grabbed the stupid vase that would've killed him the first time, and galloped outside.

The creatures screeched as he galloped down the road. They chased after him, but they couldn't get any fresh meat before he was right in the path of the runaway cart.

"Goodbye love." _WHAM!_ _Crash!_ The vase shattered as the cart slammed into him and broke a wheel, sending it crashing sideways down the rest of the hill. The creatures vanished out of the sky and ponies reappeared on the streets. Roseluck stood in the street watching her father.

"Go to him, quick," she turned and saw the Doctor, standing beside her. She nodded, and ran for the hill. When she reached him, she knelt down and grabbed his hoof. Lucky Clover looked up at his fully grown daughter, and smiled. And he died smiling, smiling at the fact his daughter was alive and happy. Roseluck bent down and kissed her father goodbye.

_The pony that owned the cart was barely an adult. When he found out what had happened, he waited for the police. Nopony knows how it happened, for some reason, Clover just ran out. They say there was this mare, and she sat with Clover while he was dying. She held his hoof. And then she was gone. Never found out who she was._

_To be continued in A Canterlot Wedding..._

**Me: and that's where we'll end this one. I know, I know, abrupt and probably bad, but I don't care.**

**Hello once again readers! I am back. And updating a bit early this time. And, because my leave of absence bored you all so, I'm giving you a special episode before "The Empty Colt".**

**Please, enjoy.**


	9. Special 1, A Canterlot Wedding

Doctor Whooves Special Short Story

_A Canterlot Wedding_

**This one is a special to repay all you loyal people for sticking with me even though I was gone for three weeks. It is also completely original and mostly My Little Pony because everything else is mostly Doctor Who. **

**Note: this is called a short story for a reason. So don't complain about it being too short.**

It started with a letter. A letter from a princess. A letter from a princess, addressed to a blue box. A letter from a princess addressed to a disappearing reappearing Police Box. A letter from a princess addressed to a disappearing reappearing Police Box that belonged to an alien called the Doctor. And when the mail stallion read this, his first though was: well, somepony's a lunatic. Then when he read who it was from, the thought changed to: jeez the Princess has a strange friend.

But, he did find the box, and just in time too. It was in Ponyville, on the eve of spring, Winter Wrap-Up! Everypony was busy clearing the sky and scooping away snow, so the mail stallion couldn't figure out whom to give said letter to, so he just taped it on the blue box's front doors and left.

That evening, just after sunset over now spring set Ponyville, the owners of the blue box returned. Both were wearing winter boots and matching green winter wrap up vests.

"I still can't believe that in nine hundred years of time traveling you never ever did winter wrap-up," the mare, Roseluck said.

"What? I never knew it was fun," the Doctor replied. He turned to open the Tardis doors and noticed the letter, pink envelope sealed with a heart. He glanced at Roseluck, who was also staring at the letter with wide eyes. He pulled it off and opened the letter. He scanned it quickly, and then handed it to Roseluck who also read it while the Tardis was unlocked.

"Dear Doctor and Roseluck," she read, "I, Princess Miamore Cadenza, would love love love it if you both were to attend my wedding in Canterlot." She walked inside the Tardis. "The wedding will be in four days in Canterlot castle. I can't wait to see you both. Sincerely, Princess Cadence."

And when she finally finished, she set it and the envelope on the Captain's chair, and let out a noise that sounded like "Squeee!"

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh!" she said hopping around, "We got invited to Princess Cadence's wedding! Yayayayayay!"

"It's not that big of a deal Roseluck," the Doctor said, shrugging his regular black jacket on and the green vest off. He tossed Roseluck's denim one at her, she had to stop jumping to catch it but that didn't quell her excitement.

"Yes it is! We have been personally invited by Princess Cadence to Canterlot for the biggest wedding in history."

"So? I still don't think we should go, I've got a bad feeling about this."

"You get a bad feeling about anything that isn't normal, by our standards. But, we are going."

"Who's time machine is this?" asked the Doctor.

"Yours."

"And who decides where it goes?"

"You."

"Then who gets to say that we're going to the wedding or not?"

"You. But, come on we've been invited personally by the princess!"

"So?"

"So we should go because they're expecting us."

"Why is this wedding so important to you?"

"Because the last one I, I mean, we went to, ended up getting the world almost eaten entirely by those reaper things. I want to, make sure I can still go to a big event like that without somepony dying."

"Why didn't you say that in the first place, if you really must go, let's go to a wedding!"

* * *

Roseluck checked dress after dress on the hangers. In the wardrobe room, there were thousands of choices. Big blue ball gowns, red smiling sun dresses, yellow party costumes, and rainbow striped gala dresses. Then she saw the perfect outfit for her. A yellow blouse with bright red roses on the shoulders and a matching pink cape decorate with red and white rose stripes.

She slipped on the dress and twirled around, the dress swished as she trotted around. Roseluck danced to music inside her head to make her dance moves just perfect for the reception after the wedding. She did a pirouette and when she stopped, she spotted the Doctor watching her with an amused smile. She stopped dancing.

"Well, you look fancy," she complimented, it sounded sarcastic but she meant it. He did look quite fancy. A black suit and white button up undershirt, blue striped tie that matched his coat, and a fancy sky blue top hat. His Sonic Screwdriver was tucked in the breast pocket like a corsage.

"Why thank you miss Roseluck," he said with a tip of his hat.

"You know," she said, walking up to him, "Ponies are going to be suspicious when you've got the equivalent of a magic wand sticking out of your breast pocket." The Doctor glanced at his pocket and nodded. He nodded once again and reached into the pocket of a nearby jacket, pulling out a dark blue flower and pinning it to his shirt.

"There," he said, Roseluck's eyes were wide with shock, "What? Never underestimate what you can find in a Time Pony's pocket."

* * *

In the gardens of Canterlot, tinted pink in the sunlight streaming through Shining Armor's shield, streamers and balloons decorated every possible place. But a bunch of at least six were caught inside the Tardis as it rematerialized.

"Now," the Doctor said, taking Roseluck's hoof in his, "Ready to go to a 'normal' wedding?"

"Yes I am," Roseluck replied as they trotted out of the Tardis into the gardens. And, as was normal for the Doctor when he arrives somewhere, there was a squad of four guards armed and ready, waiting for them.

"Welcome, Doctor and Roseluck," the lead guard said, as they all lowered their weapons. "Princess Miamore Cadenza has been expecting you."

"Since when are we expected?" asked the Doctor.

* * *

Princess Cadence was in her room, having her best stylist working on her mane. There was a knock on the door, startling the stylist and causing her to pull incredibly hard on Cadence's mane.

"Ow! Hey!" she cried, "Get out of here!" The mare dropped her hair brush and ran out of the room. When she left, a knight stepped in and took her place.

"Your majesty," he said with a bow, "The Doctor and his companion have arrived." Cadence looked back, and she smiled. But it was more of an evil smirk.

"Send the Doctor in first, I wish to have a word in private before the wedding," she instructed. The guard bowed once more, then left the room. Cadence looked into the mirror and smiled evilly, her reflection was that of a horrid insect alicorn creature.

"The time is almost upon us," she said, "And nopony can be in the way. The Doctor will be eliminated."

* * *

The duo was lead to the front hall of Canterlot castle to await Princess Cadence. Roseluck kept shifting from hoof to hoof excitedly, the Doctor was calmer, but something was wrong. He could just tell, like when you know something but you don't' know how you know it. That sort of gut feeling that usually is right.

His gut feeling was saying "This is a trap, get out while you still can." But how could he convince Roseluck, who was so excited just to be here? He couldn't, so the Doctor resorted to waiting until he could see the princess.

"Any minute now," Roseluck kept saying while she hopped up and down. But then she just stopped, something had caught her eye. A Pegasus stallion was watching her and the Doctor from a window high on the castle wall. He was there for only a moment. And he vanished when Roseluck looked up at him.

The guard who'd gone to alert Princess Cadence returned.

"You may see the princess now," he said, "But the Doctor goes first. Sorry Roseluck." Roseluck's good mood deflated like a sad balloon.

"Sorry sir," the Doctor replied, "But I'm not going anywhere without her."

"Doctor, the Princess asked that she see for only a few minutes alone before the wedding. You will be back with your companion before the bells even start to ring." The Doctor looked at the disheartened Roseluck, then back at the guard.

"Both of us, or neither," he said once more. The guard grit his teeth, but he finally submitted. On the condition that Roseluck waited in the hall until the Doctor and Princess Cadence were finished. That was a good enough deal for both of them.

* * *

There was another knock on Cadence's door, she was doing her own hair this time, so when she jumped and pulled hard on her mane, there was nopony to blame.

"Enter," she said, continuing to brush.

"Your majesty," the guest said with a bow, "So, how's the wedding planning going?" Cadence turned around and looked at the stranger, it took her a moment to figure out exactly who it was. And when she did, she smiled.

"Doctor, how good of you to come." The Doctor smiled as well.

"How'd you know it was me?" he asked, even though the answer was obvious that she'd been expecting him. Cadence stood up and walked over to him.

"Which other stallion has an hourglass cutie mark," she levitated his sonic screwdriver out from behind the blue rose corsage, "and hides a magic wand in his corsage?"

"Hey, can I have that back?" asked the Doctor reaching for his sonic. Cadence kept it just out of reach.

"Seriously, give me my Sonic Screwdriver," he said again. Cadence looked at the Sonic, then tossed it away from both of them.

"You won't be needing that," she said, "When I'm done with you, you won't be needing anything."

"That sounds bad," the Doctor noted, "I'll pass." He tried to turn and run, but he felt her grab hold of his tail by magic and hoist him into the air. It also made him lose the top hat.

"Let me go!" he cried, "What do you want? You're definitely not Princess Cadence, so who are you?" Cadence's eyes flashed serpentine and green, "Do you really want to know Doctor?"

"Actually, yes. Because I'd like to know who or what I'm going to-" _Splat!_ A glob of green suddenly sealed his mouth shut.

"I'd rather not tell you," Cadence said with a smirk, "Because I'm sure you'll be able to figure out."

* * *

Roseluck tapped her hooves in rhythm to the winter wrap up song that was stuck inside her head. She was bored. There was no other explanation about how she felt while she waited for the Doctor in the hallway outside Princess Cadence's chamber.

Then something caught her eye, the Pegasus from earlier. He was watching her from down the hall. Roseluck only caught a glimpse because when she saw him, he vanished. She glanced at Cadence's door, knowing the Doctor was going to kill her later, and started to tip-hoof down the hall.

As she neared the end, she heard a sound of somepony taking flight. She turned the corner and saw the Pegasus flying off.

"Oh no you don't!" and she gave chase. And most earth ponies would easily lose a race to a Pegasus, but if the earth pony spent a good chunk of the last two months running and the Pegasus wasn't a speedy one, I'd say they bother had an equal chance.

Roseluck ran after him all the way to the Gardens. They both burst outside, and the Pegasus flew up into the sky.

"Coward!" Roseluck called after him, "Come down and tell me who you are!"

"I'm right here, no need to shout," Roseluck jumped a foot in the air and whirled around. The Pegasus she'd been chasing was standing right behind her, smiling. He had a midnight blue coat, just barely blue white mane, silver eyes, and a constellation cutie-mark we'd call Orion. He was wearing a black suit with a small black bowtie.

"So, what exactly did you want to talk about?" he asked, accent foreign to Roseluck.

"I-I wanted to know who you are and why you were spying on me," Roseluck replied. The stallion smiled, revealing a perfect smile.

"I'm Captain," he stopped, as if he'd forgotten his name, "Captain… Stargazer." Stargazer stuck out his hoof to shake. Roseluck shook his hoof.

"I'm Roseluck," she said.

"So Roseluck, where's your stallion friend from earlier?" asked Stargazer, a mischievous gleam in his eyes.

"Taking frikkin forever to finish his conversation with Cadence," Roseluck said rolling her eyes.

"He's what?" asked Stargazer, suddenly very serious, "He's alone with Cadence?"

"Yeah, why? It's not like he's going to mess around with her."

"That's not what I'm worried about." Stargazer turned and started for the castle. "Well are you coming or not?" Roseluck nodded and they both galloped into the castle back towards the princess's quarters. When they reached it, the first thing that was noticed, was the smell.

Something stank, like rotten eggs and strangely enough, glue. It was coming from Cadence's room. Roseluck tried the door, it was locked.

"It's locked," she said.

"Has that ever stopped you?" asked Stargazer. He turned and kicked the doorknob off, breaking the lock and causing it to swing open. Both gasped at the sight inside.

The Doctor, unconscious, in a giant green chrysalis, hanging from the ceiling. He seemed dead, well, either that or discorded. His normally blue coat was grey and his eyes were pale green and all, what's the term for staring off in different directions? Roseluck stepped up and touched the gelatinous cocoon.

"Doctor, what happened to you?" she asked, "We have to get him out of there!"

"We can't," Stargazer replied, "We don't have the magic to do it." Roseluck looked at the trap, then she remembered something.

"Stargazer, he doesn't have his Sonic Screwdriver in there," she said, noticing the whole corsage was gone.

"So?"

"I remember the Doctor telling me that his Sonic had a few magic options, even weak levitation. Maybe we can use it to break the cocoon!"

"Clever idea," Stargazer said, "If we had the sonic." Roseluck looked around the room frantically, then she saw the crumpled blue rose. She trotted over and lifted up the flower, wrapped in its petals was the device she was looking for. She pulled it out and trotted back over to the chrysalis.

"I can't believe you actually plan on doing this," Stargazer said rolling his eyes. Roseluck would've said something back if she hadn't been holding the Sonic. She pressed the button and held it up to the cocoon. The green slime rippled for a moment, there was a giant flash of blue, and Roseluck was unconscious too.

(What? Okay, didn't plan on writing that but… I like it!)

* * *

Roseluck blinked, her eyes were out of focus, and blinking seemed to fix it. When her vision cleared, she found a strange creature glaring at her. It looked like a changeling, but changelings looked like stallions, this one looked like a princess actually.

"So, who are you supposed to be?" Roseluck asked.

"You're not supposed to be in here," the creature hissed.

"Oh and why not? Is it some sort of, secret laboratory?" she asked, searching the blackness around them for anything. "Because, I don't see anything."

"This place was never supposed to be breached," the changeling whispered, "Now that you're here, he has a chance to escape."

"Who?" asked Roseluck. Then she heard something, voices. She looked towards them, and something appeared out of the blackness. Two ponies, an old stallion and a filly. The filly was black and grey with a pocket watch cutie mark, the stallion was white and grey with an hourglass. The stallion was hugging the filly, who was crying because she was terrified.

"Grandfather, will we be able to get out?" asked the filly.

"I don't know Perennial, I don't know." They faded. (1st Doctor and Susan)

"What was that?" Roseluck muttered.

"A memory, that means your causing him to fight," the changeling hissed.

"Him? Who is he?" Roseluck saw something else appearing. It was another group of ponies. One stallion looked like a younger version of the first, with a black mane and darker grey coat. The second stallion was wearing a sort of cowboy vest and kilt, he also had a black mane and light grey coat. The mare was three shades of purple, dark purple mane, light purple coat, some kind of indigo sparkly jumpsuit. They were all laughing about something. But it faded before Roseluck could find out what. (2nd Doctor, Jamie, and Zoe)

"You need to leave, now," the changeling mare commanded, "Before he wakes."

"No," Roseluck said stubbornly, "You need to tell me who 'he' is first. Then I'll decided if I need to leave."

"You stubborn mare, but if that is what it takes to get you to leave. 'he', is the Doctor."

"Okay then, is staying in here wakes him up, bye lady!" Roseluck turned and ran, knowing her reply would get her either killed or captured. She passed by more of the visions.

One of a blue unicorn arguing with a soldier (3 and Brigadier), one of a tan earth stallion and blue unicorn mare touring Prance (4 and Romana II), another earth stallion with a blond mane stepping out of the Tardis onto a spaceship with an entourage of three ponies(5, Tegan, Adric, Nyssa), a fourth of a Pegasus with wild curly hair goofing around in a Gallopfreyan court (6), and many more. But then she had to stop running. Because A) her hooves were now glued to the, uh, invisible ground with green slime and B) she'd reached the last.

This one had a stallion she recognized, blue coat, black hair, blue eyes, black jacket. The vision was inside the Tardis, and the Doctor looked absolutely miserable. Flipping from fits of crying to roars of fury, Roseluck was able to guess it was recently after the Time War. She felt a hoof on her shoulder and shuddered involuntarily.

"Do you know what this is?" asked the changeling, "This is the saddest moment of his life. I keep making him relive it. Over and over and over. Until he goes mad with depression." Roseluck could only watch as that thing tore her friend apart, or, made him tear himself apart.

"No," she whispered, "This isn't right. He shouldn't be sad, he's not alone!"

"But he doesn't know that," the changeling hissed, "and he never will."

"No! I can't let you do this!" Roseluck began to fight, pulling against the gooey bonds keeping her in one place. "He's my friend! I can't let you kill him!" The Changeling stepped back.

Now, before we continue, I need to ask a question to the bronies reading this. Do you remember what the most powerful magic of all is? It's friendship. So when one friend is in danger, and the other needs to help, their friendship can break through any bonds. Including ones made by mind creatures.

The slime covering Roseluck's hooves shattered, and she ran. She ran for the vision, she wouldn't, couldn't, let that monster drive her best friend mad. But that monster had other plans.

"No! You must not interrupt it!" the ground began to fall away behind Roseluck, so she just ran harder. She leapt into the vision at the last moment, before the ground under her hooves broke away. Before the Doctor in the vision could say anything, the real Roseluck ran over to him, and hugged him.

"You're not alone," she whispered, "I won't let you be alone ever again." There was a moment of stunned silence, before the mental world around them began to fall apart. As it fell away, it looked more and more like "Cadence's" room. Roseluck felt the Doctor wrap his hooves around her and hug her back. The dream world was gone, and they were free. And also covered in slime from the broken chrysalis.

Stargazer, who'd seen the whole thing, sort of, was just watching them.

"Okay, I missed something didn't I?" he said. Roseluck let go of the Doctor and stepped back, blushing furiously. The Doctor was blushing as well, but he was also smiling like he'd won the lottery. The color had returned to his coat and his eyes were no longer green and wibbly-wobbly.

"I knew I picked the right pony to be my friend," he said, "Now, We've got to stop 'Princess Cadence' before she releases an army of changelings on Canterlot!"

"What?!"

"Oh, I thought you'd figure it out," the Doctor said, "Slime, changeling dream monster, serpentine green eyes? No? As it turns out, 'Princess Cadence' is actually Chrysalis the Empress of the Changelings and she plans to marry Shining Armor, lower the shield, attack the city of Canterlot. And once this city has fallen and the princesses are dead and/or conquered, the changelings will run ramped over Equestria until, well, the last surviving ponies declare war and world war two."

"And that's her plan?" asked Roseluck.

"No," the Doctor replied, "I was just speculating what would happen if she succeeds. Now let's move!" And he took off running. Roseluck glanced at Stargazer, she smiled, then followed the Time-Pony. Stargazer rolled his eyes, took to the air, and flew after them.

* * *

"We've got to get to the throne room before they say their vows! She's already powerful enough but sealing the vows will make her even stronger!" the Doctor cried running through Canterlot castle, partially utterly lost.

"Who is she?" asked Roseluck, running next to him.

"She's Queen Chrysalis! I told you that now come on!"

"Look out!" Stargazer called as a squadron of at least seven changelings crashed through the windows.

"The shields down, she's already revealed herself!" the Doctor yelled, "We're going to have to fight our way through!"

"But I can't fight!" Roseluck cried. Suddenly the changelings morphed in to copies of them, and friends. Roseluck saw not only Lilly-luck and Gear, but she also saw copies and copies of the ponies she'd seen while inside the Doctor's mind, and even more she didn't recognize.

"You're going to have to, or we're all going to be drained," Stargazer said. The changelings began to hiss and growl, the ponies readied to fight, and with a battle cry from both sides, the fight began.

Roseluck didn't know many fighting techniques, but she did know gymnastics. Excellent for dodging and delivering surprise kicks. The changelings tried to catch her by holding onto her dress cape, but she tore it away and fought faster and harder.

The Doctor was doing more or less the same, with more fighting and a little Time-Pony technology. Reversing spells, blinding bright flashes, and sending high pitched sounds that immobilized changelings all with the Sonic Screwdriver. When they were dazed after the sonic attacks, he would use a quick Kung Fu technique that he'd learned years ago on the planet of Rot Shorco, one known for its fighting skill.

Stargazer, well, he had a secret weapon. No, literally, he'd had a hoof-held laser device that was stunning changeling after changeling into unconsciousness. But no matter how many of the insectoid creatures were knocked out, more just kept coming. So, between the third and fourth waves, the trio began running again.

"We have to get to the throne room," the Doctor ordered, "When we get there, I'll find a way to stop Chrysalis and you two can check to make sure the Princesses are o-" he was cut off in a gasp of surprise as a sudden wave of purple shield magic pushed its way past them. It pushed any chasing changelings away. They stopped running, and watched.

"What the hell was that?" asked Roseluck when she'd finally caught her breath and recovered from the surprise.

"That," the Doctor began, "Was a little help from the real bride and groom."

* * *

Music played in another part of the gardens as the Doctor, Stargazer, and Roseluck trotted back to the Tardis in the twilight. All three of them were exhausted and in no mood or condition to join the rest of the wedding party in celebration. Roseluck's dress cape was gone, and her blouse was scorched and torn to the point of thinking it was a shawl. The Doctor and Stargazer's tuxedos were in similar conditions, torn and shredded. And they never had gone back for the Doctor's top hat which had been left in Cadence's room.

Roseluck didn't wait for the Doctor to unlock the Tardis, she did it herself, and ran in to find a shower. The Doctor shut the door behind her, and turned to Stargazer.

"So, after all that's happened, mind telling me what your name is?" he asked. Stargazer smiled.

"My name is not Captain Stargazer, like I told Roseluck. But, I have a feeling we'll be meeting again in about, oh, one chapter." He winked at the readers then took off into the air, leaving an incredibly confused Doctor and audience. The Doctor shook off the confusion and walked into the Tardis. He found Roseluck waiting, holding his black jacket and wearing her Union Jack, et.

"So much for a normal wedding eh?" he said. She tossed his jacket and replied: "Normal is boring anyways. So where to next?"

"Don't know, mayb-" then an alarm began to sound.

"Oh what now?" complained Roseluck.

"Mauve alert, strange object flying through the vortex," the Doctor explained, "Locking on!"

_To be continued in The Empty Colt..._

**Me: Hey! Stargazer! You know the rules, no breaking the fourth wall!**

**Star: Hey, chill. I was just having a little fun.**

**Me: and for that fun, you have to do the disclaimers and stuff.**

**Star: What?!**

**Me: just do it.**

**Star: fine. The Canterlot Wedding title and story belongs entirely Hasbro. The Tardis, memory moments, and incredibly dashing-**

**Me: stop.**

**Star: Stargazer belong to BBC. Storygirl90 would like to apologize for her sooooo long vacation. This is her way of saying-**

**Me: Sorry! And until next time, Onwards and Upwards! And yes, this is supposed to have happened only hours before "the Empty Colt".**


	10. Episode 9, The Empty Colt

Doctor Whooves

_The Empty Colt_

**Mwa ha ha! Time for a change in the tides. Time for things to get a bit creepy. Time for, f-f-for, mmmmm, m-m-mummy? Are, you, my, mummy?**

**:) Just kidding. Seriously though, beware the gas mask. O_O**

The Tardis rocked heavily as it shot through space, in hot pursuit of a smaller spacecraft.

"What's the emergency?" asked Roseluck, holding onto the console and trying not to get flung off.

"It's mauve," the Doctor replied as he steered the Tardis.

"Mauve?"

"The universally recognized color for danger."

"What happened to red?" asked Roseluck, tumbling over and also watching the screen.

"That's just ponies. By everypony else's standard, red's camp. Oh the misunderstandings, all those red alerts, all that dancing," the Doctor sighed and continued working. "It's got a very basic flight computer. I've hacked in, slaved the Tardis. Where it goes, we go."

"And that's safe?" asked Roseluck.

"Totally," the Doctor said reaching over and pressing a button. _Crack!_ The console sparked wildly making both ponies jump.

"Okay, reasonably. Should have said reasonably there." He glanced back at the monitor.

"NO no no no! It's jumping time tracks, getting away from us!"

"What exactly is this thing?"

"No idea."

"Then why are we chasing it?"

"It's mauve and dangerous!" he glanced once more at the readings, "and about thirty seconds from the center of Hoofdon."

**Cue theme! No seriously, go online and find it and play it, then keep reading.**

The Tardis materialized about 160 years before Luna's return, in Hoofdon, at night. Between houses in a crowded dirty alley, a cat was asleep on a nearby pile of garbage. A note must be made that those buildings didn't exist in modern day. The Doctor stepped out of the Tardis and looked around, "Do you know how long you can knock around space without happening to bump into Gaia?"' he asked.

"Five days?" said Roseluck stepping out, "or is that just when we're out of milk?"

"Of all the species in all the Universe and it has to come out of a cow." They started walking, unaware that something was watching them, its vision distorted slightly by thick goggle lenses.

"It must've come down somewhere quite close," the Doctor said, "within a mile anyway. And it can't have been more than a few weeks ago. Maybe a month."

"A month? We were right behind it," Roseluck said.

"It was jumping time tracks all over the place. We're bound to be a little bit out. Do you want to drive?" he asked as they rounded a corner. Rhetorical question.

"Yeah, how much is a little?" asked Roseluck.

"A bit."

"Is that exactly a bit?"

"Ish."

"What's the plan then? You going to scan for alien tech or something?"

"Roseluck, it hit the middle of Hoofdon with a very loud bang. I'm going to ask." He pulled out the psychic paper and flipped it open for Roseluck to see.

"Doctor Clockwork, Ministry of Asteroids," she read.

"It's psychic paper, tells you-"

"Whatever you want it to tell me, yeah I remember." They walked up to a back entrance to somewhere; the door was labeled "Deliveries Only".

"Not very future-y is it?" Roseluck remarked. The Doctor pressed his ear to the door.

"Door, music, ponies. What do you think?"

"I think you should do a scan for alien tech! Give me some future, for once. Would it kill you?" The Doctor pulled out his Sonic Screwdriver and began to open the door, he looked at Roseluck and her Union Flag jacket.

"Are you sure about that jacket?" he asked. She looked at it, "Too early to say I'm taking it out for a spin." Then she heard something, if you'd been watching, you would've known because her ears flicked. It was quiet, she heard it before the Doctor did.

"Mummy? Muummy?" called somepony in a singsong voice. Definitely young by the sound of their voice. Roseluck walked out into the alley looking for the source.

"Come on if you're coming," the Doctor called, door now open, "It won't take a minute." And he walked inside. Roseluck was more preoccupied, she followed the sound and looked up onto the roof tops. A colt was standing up there, wearing a gas mask and too big black jacket.

"Mummy?" he asked, eyes on the sky.

"Doctor? Doctor?! There's a colt up there!" no response. "Hey! Are you alright up there?" called Roseluck.

"Mummy?" the colt sang again. Roseluck turned and ran up a nearby fire escape, determined to get that kid down.

* * *

The Doctor was in the back room of what looked like a restaurant, with crates and crates of food. As he looked around, a waiter walked past carrying a tray of cocktails with his magic. The Doctor deserted his exploration of a banana crate and followed him. The waiter walked through a bead curtain into the main room, jazz music was being played. When the Doctor looked out into the smoking room, he was relieved to see there was a stage.

Up on the stage was a mare dressed in a blue dress with a white boa, she was singing with the Jazz band. The Doctor stepped through the bead curtain and leaned against the wall beside the stage, might as well enjoy the show while the stage was in use.

Good news was that the song was over less than a minutes later, bad news was that he didn't notice any of the posters lining the walls. So as the singer stepped off the stage, he trotted right up.

"Excuse me, could I have everypony's attention for just a mo?" he asked, "Very quick. Hello! This might seem like a stupid question, but has anything fallen from the sky recently?" There was a moment of silence, then laughter exploded from everypony in the club.

"Sorry have I said something funny?" he asked, "It's just, there's thing I need to find." A siren began to sound, everypony got up leaving their meals behind and shuffling into the door he'd come in. "Would've fallen from the sky a couple days ago. Would've landed quite near here, with a very loud-" then he spotted a poster on the wall. It read: The storm waits for nopony. "Bang." The Doctor's shoulders dropped, he should've scanned, it would've been easier.

* * *

Roseluck reached the rooftop, but the colt was still higher than her on a platform with metal bars crisscrossing it.

"Hang on! Don't move!' Roseluck called.

"Mummy?" the colt asked. Roseluck kept looking for a safe way up when a rope fell onto her head. Now there's an idea. She wrapped it around one hoof and tied it. Now she could climb up the metal supports and if she fell the rope would catch her.

So Roseluck began to climb. It was slow, and the rope rubbed her hoof raw, but she had to help that kid. Suddenly the sirens began to scream, Roseluck almost lost her grip. But she kept going.

"Balloon!" the colt cried suddenly. Roseluck looked up and saw the rope she'd just tied to her hoof was attatched to a massive blimp-like balloon that was flying away. She was pulled off the ladder, into midair. Her one arm felt like it was being torn, she wrapped the rope around her second hoof as much as possible to reduce the strain.

Roseluck looked out at Hoofdon, and her eyes widened in shock. Chaos Clouds, hundreds of them floated over the city, striking anywhere at random. And for a moment, she saw a changeling move one of the clouds. She'd read about this in school, the great chaos storms of 841, and changelings were behind it the whole time! Then another thing occurred to her, there were changelings in the clouds and she was wearing a very bright union Flag jacket.

"Okay, maybe not this jacket," she muttered.

* * *

The Doctor ran out of the club and rounded the corner to the Tardis.

"Roseluck?!" he called. Suddenly, a cat meowed behind him. He turned and pet the little black and white furball.

"You know, one day, just one day, maybe, I'm going to find somepony who gets the whole don't wander off thing," he said with a sigh, "Nine hundred years of phone box travel, it's the only thing left to surprise me." Really? Because you looked pretty spooked when the Tardis began to ring. He stared at the Tardis, then trotted over. One of the sides had a small handle, to open the telephone. The Doctor opened it up and stared at the old phone. it rang again.

"How can you be ringing?" he asked, "What's that about, ringing? What am I supposed to do with a ringing phone?" He pulled out the sonic and was about to answer when-

"Don't answer it," The Doctor looked around the Tardis and saw an earth mare standing there. She had a light orange coat and curly blond mane pulled into two fierce looking braids. Her cutie mark was hidden by her long black jacket, she was wearing along with that black boots and a red scarf. "It's not for you."

"And how do you know that?" asked the Doctor putting away his sonic.

"'Cos I do," she replied, "And I'm telling you, don't answer it."

"Well, if you know so much, tell me this. How can it be ringing? It's not even a real phone, it's not connected, it's not-" he glanced back at the mare but she was gone. The Doctor shrugged and picked up the phone bell. He put it to his ear and listened.

"Hello? Heello?" Silence. "This is the Doctor speaking." More silence. "How may I help you?"

"_Mummy?_" it was colt's voice, woven with static, "_Mummy?_"

"Who is this?" asked the Doctor, "Who's speaking?"

"_Are you my mummy?_" the child asked.

"Who is this?"

"_Mummy?"_

_"_How did you ring here? This isn't a real phone. It's not wired up to-"

"_Mummy?"_ _Bzzt, deeeeeeeet_, dial tone. The Doctor put the phone back, then he knocked on the Tardis wall.

"Roseluck? Roseluck, are you in there?"Suddenly there was a clattering of metal, like somepony knocked over a bunch of garbage cans. The Doctor ditched his attempt to solve the mystery of the unwired phone and followed the sound. It was an over turned trashcan, and it was in just the right position to create a small staircase to the top of a metal fence. The Doctor climbed up and looked over.

A very well-fed mare was shepherding a colt into a metal shed, a Cloud shelter, especially designed to block out extra chaotic energy. She was shouting at everypony to be quiet and calm so's not to attract the clouds, but she was being so loud and crazy that nopony was listening.

"Art! Art will you hurry up!" she cried shrilly, "Didn't you here the siren?" an equally well fed stallion came out of the house and trotted over to the shed begrudgingly. But not before roaring at the clouds for ruining his dinner. With the family safe in the shelter and the coast clear, the Doctor watched the mare from earlier tip-hoof out of the shadows and into the house.

The mare's name was Annabelle, but everypony just called her Bell. She worked night and day, storm after storm, getting food for the other colts and fillies out on the streets. But at that moment, she was just getting food for herself. Taking cans of food, boxes of crackers, and a fruit cake off the counter. But just as she turned to leave out the front door, a sight in the dining room caught her eye, and made her smile.

* * *

Roseluck wasn't very lucky at the moment, because she'd started to slip out of the rope, right above the Thames. Fires had broken out all over Hoofdon, giant white and green blazes of chaos energy. She kept calling for help, but no pegasi were flying tonight. But somepony was watching her.

He was watching her from a very fancy building a few blocks away, with a pair of so not 841 binoculars. This Pegasus was sitting on a balcony rooftop while the others inside were getting to the shelters. His friend, Algy, came out onto another balcony and called out to him.

"Jack! Are you going down to the shelter? I've got to go on guard duty somewhere else! What're you looking at?" He looked and saw the distant barrage balloon drifting by. "Barrage balloon eh? Must've come loose. Don't you storm boys use those for target practice?" Jack was too busy admiring Roseluck, but he put away the goggles to answer his friend.

"Sorry Agly, I've got to go meet a girl, but I'll be seeing you soon my friend!" and he flew off.

* * *

After her discovery, Annabelle galloped outside. She whistle twice in one direction, then twice in the other. Signaling that it was feed time. No sooner had she gone back inside and taken off her coat, that two boys ran in.

"Many foals out there?" she asked.

"Yes miss," one replied. The two of them leapt for the table, "Ah! We will wait for the others. So sit, we've got the whole storm." Bell's great discovery had been an abandoned meal, with salads, mini sandwiches, and a huge apple pie, barely touched.

"Look at that," the first colt Dusty sighed, "Bet they got it off the black market."

"That's enough," Bell ordered, cutting up the pie into small pieces.

* * *

High over the city, Roseluck's make shift knot was about to come loose, she tried to hold on but the knot undid and she was falling towards concrete and wood. But a giant blue beam of swirling energy came out of the top of Clockwork's tower, catching her.

"Okay okay, I've got you!" that voice sounded familiar to Roseluck, the odd accent and everything.

"Who's got me? Who's got me and, you know, how?" she asked, panicked.

"I'm just programming your descent pattern," the voice said, "Keep still as you can and keep your hooves inside the light field."

"Descent pattern?"

"Oh and could you switch off your cell phone?" Roseluck was about to interject before he continued, "No, seriously, it interferes with my instrument." Roseluck pulled out her phone and began to deactivate while muttering "Nopony ever actually believes that."

"Thank you, that's much better."

"Oh yeah," Roseluck said, sarcastic and hysterical at the same time, "That's a real load off that is. I'm hanging in the sky in the middle of a changeling chaos attack with a Union Jack across my back, but hey, my mobile phone's off!"

"Be with you in a moment." The beam actually connected to a ship, inside that ship was the Pegasus, Jack who'd been spying on Roseluck earlier.

"_The mobile communication device indicates non-contemporaneous life form,_" the computer droned.

"She's not from around here, no. Ready for you, hold tight!"

"To what?" asked Roseluck.

"Fair point," Jack pushed one lever sending Roseluck sliding down the energy beam like a giant slide. She screamed, then laughed until _Fwoom!_ She slid into the ship and into Jack, who was hovering in the air so he could catch her.

"I got you, you're fine," he said, "The tractor beam, it can scramble your head just a little." Roseluck opened her eyes and looked at the stallion who'd just saved her. Silver blue mane, midnight blue coat, silver eyes, constellations cutie mark, she knew him from somewhere, but where?

"Hello," she whispered mesmerized.

"Hello," Jack replied.

"Hello," Roseluck said again, before shaking her head and replying, "Sorry, that was hello twice there. Dull, but you know, thorough."

"Are you alright?" asked Jack.

"Fine," Jack helped her down, "Why are you expecting me to faint?" she asked.

"You look a little dizzy."

"What about you? You're not even in focus!" And then she did faint, right into Jack's hooves. He smiled and rolled his eyes, then moved her into a nearby bunk.

(If you read last week's special addition, you know who he is already. If not, go read it, and remember the characters!)

* * *

More and more kids filled into the temporarily empty house, but something was watching them from the street. The last two galloped in and left the door just slightly ajar.

"It's got to be black market," the second colt, Lightning muttered, "You can't get this all on coupons."

"Lightning, how many times?" asked Bell, "We are guests in this house and we will not make comments of that kind. You're washing up." The other foals laughed and Lightning just looked angry. Bell looked at one of the newest arrivals, "Haven't seen you at one of these before."

"He told me about it," the little colt admitted.

"Sleeping rough?"

"Yes miss."

"Alright," Bell picked up the pie and passed it to her left. "One slice each, and I want to see everypony chewing properly. The pie was passed around, and as each foal took a slice they said: "Thank you miss."

"Thanks miss."

"thank you miss."

"Thanks miss!" the Doctor said helping himself to the pie. The children began to panic, leaping out of their chairs and trying to run.

"It's alright," Bell said, "Everypony stay where you are."

"Good here isn't it?" asked the Doctor, "Who's got the sugar?"

"Back in your seats, he shouldn't be here either," said Bell strongly. The children slowly and cautiously took their seats then dug into the pie and salads.

"So, you lot, what's the story?" asked the Doctor.

"What do you mean?" asked Lightning.

"You're homeless right? Living rough?"

"Why do you want to know that?" asked Dusty, "Are you a copper?"

"Course I'm not a copper, what's a copper going to do with you lot anyway? Arrest you for starving?" joked the Doctor, getting a laugh from all the foals. "I make its 841, you lot shouldn't even be in Hoofdon. You should've been evacuated to the country by now."

"I was evacuated," the new colt said, his name's Alf BTW. "They sent me to a farm."

"So why'd you come back?"

"There was a guy there…"

"Yeah, same with Lightning," chimed Dusty, "Two homes ago."

"Shut up," growled Lightning, "It's better on the streets anyways. Better food."

"Yeah, Bell always gets the best food for us," Dusty added.

"So that's what you do is it Bell?"

"What is?"

"As soon as the sirens go, you find a big fat family meal still warm on the table with everypony down in the shelter and bingo! Feeding frenzy for the unfortunate foals of Hoofdon town. Ice cream for all, unless the storm gets you."

"Something wrong with that?" asked Bell, annoyed.

"Wrong with it, it's brilliant!" the Doctor complimented, "I'm not sure if it's a West End Musical or pure brilliance." A moment of silent confusion.

"Why'd you follow me?" asked Bell, "What do you want?"

"I want to know how a phone that isn't a phone gets a phone call," he pointed a fork at Bell, "and you seem to be the pony to ask."

"I did you a favor," Bell replied, "I told you not to answer it and that's all I'm telling you."

"Great, thanks. I'm also looking for a mare with pink hair in a Union Jack. I mean a specific one. I didn't just wake up this morning with a craving." More laughter. "Anypony seen a mare like that?" Instead of getting an answer, Annabelle walked over and took his plate.

"What've have I done now?" he asked.

"You took two slices," Annabelle replied, "No mares, no flags. Anything else before you leave?"

"Yeah there is actually, thanks for asking," the Doctor reached into his jacket and pulled out a pencil and mini notebook, he had to draw with the pencil in his mouth, not being a unicorn and all.

"Something I've been looking for," he said through a mouthful of pencil, "would've fallen from the sky about a month ago. Not a bomb or anything, more like a giant metal meteor. Would've jut buried itself in the ground somewhere, and it looked something like, this." He stopped drawing and held up the picture. It was a shoddily drawn copy of the ship he'd chased through the vortex. The foals didn't seem to recognize it, but Bell did.

Suddenly, there was a knocking at the window, making all the children jump in surprise. The Doctor got out of his chair and stepped over to the window, he pulled back the curtain. Outside, was a colt with a blond mane and red-orange coat, wearing a gas mask.

"Mummy? Are you in there mummy?" the colt asked, putting his hoof on the window.

"Who was the last one in?" asked Bell.

"Him."

"No he came around the back, who came in the front?"

"Me," whispered Alf.

"Did you close the door?"

"Uuhh.."

"Did you close the door?"

"Muummy," the colt turned, and walked towards the front door. Bell raced into the hall and closed the door just before he got in, bolting it shut.

"What's this then?" asked the Doctor, "It's never easy being the only foal left out in the cold."

"I suppose you'd know," Bell said sarcastically.

"I do actually, yes."

"It's not exactly a child," she replied, running past him into the dining room.

"Eight, everypony out. Across the back garden and under the fence. Now! Go!" The foals immediately sprang into action, grabbing jackets and helping the youngest put theirs on. They all ran out the back door, going nowhere near the front where that thing with the gas mask was. Annabelle was the last one out. But the Doctor wasn't paying attention to the fleeing foals.

"Mummy? Mummy?" the colt kept asking, "Please let me in mummy, please let me in." His hoof came through the letter slot near the bottom of the door, it had a nasty cut in the shape of a Y on the bottom.

"Are you alright?" asked the Doctor kneeling down. _Crash!_ Something flew into the door and shattered, causing the hoof to withdraw and the Doctor to nearly get a concussion from a flying vase.

"You musn't let him touch you!" Bell cried.

"What happens if he touches me?" asked the Doctor.

"He'll make you like him."

"And what's he like?"

"I've got to go," she turned to leave.

"Belle! What's he like?" She looked back at him, "He's empty." All of a sudden, the telephone started to ring.

"It's him," Bell said, scared, "He can make phones ring, he can. Just like with that police box you saw." The Doctor reached over and picked up the black phone.

"Are you my mummy?" came the colt's voice from the end of the line. Bell ran over and took the phone, hanging it up. Then the radio turned on in the other room, singing out show-town tunes mixed with the cries of a child asking for his mummy. Then the clockwork monkey some foal had left on the stairs started to clap its cymbals and in rhythm and say "Mummy, mummy, mummy," over and over again.

"You stay if you want to," Bell warned before running off. The colt put his hoof through the letter box again.

"Mummy?" he asked, "Let me in please, mummy. Please let me in."

"Your mummy isn't here," the Doctor replied. The commotion stopped, no radio or clapping monkey.

"Are you my mummy?" repeated the colt.

"No mummies here," the Doctor said, "Nopony here but us chickens. Well, this chicken."

"I'm scared," the colt said.

"Why are the other foals afraid of you?" asked the Doctor.

"Please let me in mummy, I'm scared of the bombs," the foal said. The Doctor thought for a moment, "Okay, I'm opening the door now." The little hoof withdrew, the Time-pony stood up and undid the bolt lock. Then he opened the door. But instead of seeing an orange and yellow colt standing outside, there was just an empty street. He had vanished into thin air.

* * *

When Roseluck woke up, she rolled off the ship bunk bed with a _thump!_ It took her a moment to re-establish her balance, but she eventually was on her hooves again.

"Feeling better?" asked Jack, from his position in the ship's cockpit. Roseluck turned and looked at her savior, and her eyes became the size of watermelons.

"Stargazer?" she asked in surprise, "What're you doing in old Hoofdon?"

"Uh, my name's not Stargazer," Jack replied.

"Oh, sorry, thought you were somepony else. So, who are you then?" He pulled out a black wallet like the Doctor's and flipped it open.

"Captain Jack Harness, One Three Three Squadron, Royal Storm Officer. Volunteer from Clouds-dale." Roseluck took the wallet and smirked.

"Liar," she said, "This is psychic paper. It tells me whatever you want it to tell me."

"How do you know?"

"Two things, one, I've got a friend who uses this all the time."

"Ah."

"And two, you just handed me a paper saying your single and you work out," she finished, handing him the wallet.

"Tricky thing psychic paper," Jack noted.

"Yeah, can't let your mind wander when you're handing it over." Jack flipped open the wallet and looked at it, he smirked.

"Oh, it says here, you sort of have a boyfriend named Gear but you consider yourself hoof-loose and fancy-free."

"What?"

"Actually the word is available," Jack corrected.

"Shut up."

"And another one, very."

"Can we try to get along without the psychic paper?" asked Roseluck.

"That would be better wouldn't it?" replied Jack, pocketing the wallet. Roseluck ran her hoof along the space ship's walls.

"Nice shapeship," she complimented.

"Gets me around," Captain Jack replied stepping out of the cockpit.

"Very, cool."

"Glad you think so." Roseluck looked at the spaceship, then at Jack.

"I'm guessing you're not a local colt?" she asked walking past him and sitting in the captain's chair.

"A cell phone, liquid crystal watch, and fabrics that won't be around for at least a century," he said, reading off the device on his hoof, "Guessing you're not a local mare."

"Guessed right," she replied, leaning past the chair to look out the window. Suddenly, she hissed in pain, she'd accidentally bumped her hoof against the window, causing the rope burn she'd gotten on the balloon to sting like fire.

"Burn your hooves on the rope?" asked Jack.

"Yeah," Roseluck replied, she looked out the window and gasped. "We're parked in midair! Can't anypony down there see us?"

"No," he answered, "Can I see your hooves for a moment?" Roseluck looked at him.

"Why?"

"Please?" She held out both her singed hooves, he stepped up and began to scan them with a tiny light device on his wrist thingy. "You can stop acting now. I know exactly who you are. I can spot a Time Agent a mile away."

"Time Agent?" asked a confused Roseluck.

"I've been expecting one of you guys to show up," Captain Jack continued, "Though not, I must say, by barrage balloon. Do you often travel that way?"

"Sometimes I get swept off my hooves," Roseluck replied. "b-by balloons." She then corrected. "What're you doing?" Jack was wrapping his colorful short red scarf around her hooves to hold them still.

"Try to keep still," he instructed, tying the scarf. He leaned past Roseluck and pressed a few switches. A glowing bundle of, well, tiny dots surrounded her hooves. The stinging on her burns stopped and the skin started to repare itself.

"Nanogenes," Jack explained, "Sub-atomic robots. The air in here is full of them." The nanogenes flew off, leaving Roseluck's hooves healed like new. Jack untied the scarf, "They just repaired three layers of your skin."

"Well tell them thanks," Roseluck added, feeling the skin that had been torn apart only moments before.

"Shall we get down to business?" asked Jack.

"Business?" asked Roseluck.

Jack stood up and went over to the wall, he pulled a large champagne bottle from a door in the wall and pressed a button.

"Shall we have a drink on the balcony?" he asked flying outside, "Bring up the glasses!" Roseluck grabbed two glasses, glasses and carefully brought them outside. She set them down on the top step of the staircase, because there was nothing else to set it on outside. But Jack was standing only a few feet away unscrewing the champagne cork. She stepped up and felt solid metal under her hooves, when she saw nothing.

"I know I'm standing on something," she said. Jack pressed a button on his wrist device and the space ship appeared, tied next to Clockwork's tower.

"Okay, you've got an invisible spaceship," said Roseluck setting the glasses on the now visible ship, "Tethered to the Tower for some reason"

"First rule of active camouflage, park somewhere you'll remember," Jack said, popping the champagne cork out sending it flying off the ship.

* * *

Annabelle flew as softly as she could through the abandoned rail yard. She landed by an old sideways tipped train car and snuck in through a hole in the roof. There was a large crate in there, Bell opened it and began to empty her stolen goods into the box. She had just place the fruitcake in when a sound made her jump. She stood up and whirled around, the Doctor was looking through the hole she'd come through smiling.

"How'd you follow me here?" she asked.

"I'm good at following," the Doctor replied, "Got the nose for it."

"Ponies can't usually follow me if I don't want them to," Bell said.

"My nose has special powers."

"Yeah? That why it's…"

"What?"

"Nothing."

"What?"

"Nothing," Bell insisted. "Do your ears have special powers too?"

"What are you trying to say?"

"Goodnight mister." She turned back and continued to hide her stash.

"Bell, there's something chasing you and the other foals. Looks like a colt and it isn't a colt, and it started about a month ago, right?" Bell looked back at the Doctor. "The thing I'm looking for, the thing that fell from the sky, that's when it landed. And you know what I'm talking about, don't you?"

"There was a meteor," she answered, "But it was all metal. Fell the other end of Hoofdon, near Limehouse Green Station."

"Take me there," the Doctor said.

"There's soldiers guarding it, barbed wire, you'll never get through."

"Try me."

"You sure you want to know what's going on in there?"

"I really want to know."

"Then there's somepony you need to talk to first."

"And who might that be?"

"The Doctor."

* * *

It was almost eleven, and Roseluck and Captain Jack were having champagne watching a chaos storm in motion.

"You know, it's getting a bit late. I should really be getting back," Roseluck said, getting up.

"But we're discussing business," Jack reminded her.

"This isn't business, this is champagne," Roseluck corrected.

"I try never to discuss business on a clear head," Jack explained also standing up. "are you travelling alone? Are you authorized to negotiate with me?"

"What would we be negotiating?" she asked.

"I have something the agency wants," Jack said, "Something they'd like to buy. Are you in power to make payment?"

"Well, I-I should talk to my, companion," Roseluck supplied quickly.

"Companion?"

"I should really get back to him."

"Him?"

"Do you have the time?" Jack smirked and pressed his wrist device, making the Tower light up and chime behind him.

"Okay that was flash," Roseluck said, impressed, "That was on the flash side."

"When you say companion," began Jack with a mischievous glint in his eyes, "How disappointed should I be?"

"Okay, we're standing in midair…"

"Yeah,"

"On a spaceship, during a changeling chaos storm. Do you think now's really the best time to be flirting with me?" Jack sighed and pretended to pout, "Perhaps not."

"It was just a suggestion." Jack began to smirk once again, "Do you like jazz?"

"What?" He used the wrist thingy again, and a nice slow jazz piece began to play. He waltzed up to Roseluck, took her hooves and pulled her into a dance. As they danced, Jack told her the deal for the time agency.

"It's 841, the height of the Hoofdon Storm, height of the chaos cloud attack, and something else has crashed into Hoofdon. A fully equipped Chula warship. The last one in existence, armed to the teeth. And I know where it is, because I parked it. If the Agency can name the right price, I can get it for you. But in two hours, a chaos cloud's going to strike it destroying it forever. That's your deadline. Now shall we discuss payment?"

"Do you know what I think?" Roseluck replied dreamily, "I think you were talking just then."

"Two hours, chaos strike, zap, no more warship."

"Promises promises," she muttered.

"Are you even listening?"

"You used to be a TIme Agent and now you're some kind of freelancer." Roseluck summed up, stepping out of the little dance.

"Well that's a little harsh," Jack said, "I prefer to think of myself as a criminal."

"I bet you do!"

"So this, companion of yours, does he handle the business?"

"Well, I delegate a lot of that, yeah."

"Well, maybe we should go find him."

"And how're you going to do that?" asked Roseluck.

"Easy," Jack replied, "I'll do a scan for alien tech." Jack turned his back and started the scan, Roseluck was silently celebrating, "Finally, a professional."

* * *

At the railway station, it had gone from abandoned junk place to heavily military guarded. A large something was in the center of the barbed wire fenced in area, covered with a large pinkish tarp. The Doctor zoomed in on it with his super binoculars.

"That thing under the tarpaulin is what you're looking for," Bell said, looking warily at it, "They put up the fence overnight." She pointed past the crash site to a large building, Albion Hospital. "See that building? The hospital?"

"What about it?" asked the Doctor glancing at it briefly.

"That's where the Doctor is," Bell explained, "You really should talk to him."

"For now, I'm interested in getting in there," he said, putting the mini super binoculars in his pocket.

"Talk to the Doctor first," Bell insisted.

"Why?"

"Because then maybe you won't want to get inside." She turned and started to leave.

"Where're you going?"

"There was a lot of food in that house," Annabelle replied, "An' I've got mouths to feed. Should be safe enough now." She turned and started to walk away.

"Can I ask you a question?" asked the Doctor, "Who'd you lose?"

"What?" replied Bell.

"The way you look after all those kids," he explained, it's because you lost somepony and you're trying to make up for it." Bell was silent for a moment, then she replied, "It was my little brother, Short Round. One night I went looking for food. Same night that thing fell. I told him not to follow me, I told him it was dangerous, but he just… He just didn't like being on his own."

"What happened?"

"In the middle of a chaos storm? What'd you think happened?" The Doctor smirked, then looked up at the sky, "Amazing."

"What is?"

"841. Right now, not very far from here, another storm is tearing up the country. City after city falling to its power. Nothing can stop it, nothing. Until one tiny little town says 'No! no, not here.' A mouse in front of a lion, and a clever one. You're amazing, the lot of you. Don't know how the cloud feels, but you frighten the hell out of me." He looked up at Bell with a smile, "Off you go then, do what you've got to do. Save the world." Then he turned and walked off, Bell did the same. Unaware she was being watched.

The Doctor, taking Bell's advice, avoided the fenced in crash site and headed for the Hospital. Time to see what this other Doctor knew. The front gate was padlocked, no problem for the sonic screwdriver. He scanned the lock and wit a _crack! Snap! _And a small puff of smoke, the lock broke open. He pushed the gates wide open and trotted inside the building.

Right into the first ward, filled with patients, all seemingly dead, and all wearing gasmasks. The next ward, the same thing. Every bed being used to comfort a gas-masked pony. Next ward, the exact same thing. The Doctor checked every ward, only one had lights on.

He was about examine on of the patients, when a loud squeak of hinges caused him to jump. The Doctor turned around, and an earth pony, definitely a doctor, coming out of the office, leaning heavily on a brace around his hoof.

"You'll find them everywhere," he said dismally, "Every bed, in every ward. Hundreds of them."

"Yes, I saw," the Time-Pony replied, "Why are they still wearing gas masks?"

"They're not," the pony Doctor replied, "Who are you?"

"I'm, uh, Are you the Doctor?"

"Doctor Constantine," he replied, "And you are?"

"Uh, Bell sent me."

"Bell? That means you were asking about the crash."

"Yes."

"What do you know about it?"

"Nothing, that's why I was asking. What do you know?"

"Only what it's done," Constantine replied, waving his braced hoof around.

"These ponies, they were all caught in the blast?"

"None of them were." Dr. Constantine chuckled, but then dissolved into a bad fit of coughing. Slowly, he sat down at the desk beside the office.

"You're very sick," the Doctor noted.

"Dying I should think," Constantine replied, "I just haven't been able to find the time. Are you, a doctor?"

"I have my moments."

"Have you examined any of them yet?"

"No."

"Don't touch the flesh," he warned.

"Which one?"

"Any of them." The Doctor nodded, he walked over to the nearest patient and pulled out his Sonic screwdriver. He scanned the body, starting at the head.

"Conclusions?"

"Massive head trauma," the Doctor replied, "mostly to the left side. Partial collapse of the chest cavity, mostly to the right. There's some scarring on the front right hoof and the gas mask seems to be fused to the flesh, but I can't see any burns."

"Examine another one," instructed Dr. Constantine. The Doctor turend and scanned the one behind him. Exact same results.

"This isn't possible."

"Examine another." The Doctor ran across the room and scanned again.

"This is impossible," he cried, exact same injuries as the first two.

"No."

"They've all got the same injuries!"

"Yes."

"Exactly the same!"

"Yes."

"Identical, all of them, right down to the scar on the front hoof!" Unbeknownst to the Doctor, Dr. C had that scar, the same scar. The Doctor turned and looked at the other doctor, "How did this happen? How did it start?"

"When that thing dropped, there was just one victim."

"Dead?"

"At first. His injuries were truly dreadful. By the following morning, every doctor and nurse who'd touched him, those exact same injuries. By the morning after that, every patient in the same ward, the exact same injuries. Within a week, the entire hospital. Physical injuries as plague. Can you explain that?... What would you say, was the cause of death?"

"The head trauma."

"No."

"Asphyxiation."

"No."

"The collapse of the chest cavity."

"No."

"Alright, what was the cause of death?"

"There wasn't one," Constantine said gravely, "They're not dead." He kicked the leg of the desk creating a loud bang, and causing every single dead gas masked corpse in the room to sit straight up in their beds.

"It's alright," Constantine said, "They're harmless. They just sort of, sit there." Slowly, the corpses lay back down into the bed. "No heartbeat, no life signs of any kind. They just don't die."

"And they've just been left here? Nopony's doing anything?"

"I try to make them comfortable, what else is there?"

"Just you? You're the only one here?" asked the Doctor.

"Before this war began, I was a father and a grandfather, now I am neither. But I'm still a doctor."

"Yeah, know the feeling."

"I suspect the plan is to blow up the hospital and blame it on a German bomb," speculated Constantine.

"Probably too late," replied the Doctor.

"No, there are isolated cases," Dr. Constantine began wheezing, having trouble breathing, "Isolated cases popping up all over Hoofdon." The Doctor tried to step forward and help, "Stay back! Listen to me. Top floor, room eight, oh, two. That's where, they took, the first victim, from the crash, site. And find Bell."

"Bell?"

"It was her brother," he gasped, "She knows more than she's telling. Won't tell me but she migh-mmmmih… mmmuh-mmmy? Ah, you, my, muh-mmeee?" He couldn't breathe, he wasn't even Constantine anymore. Something black and round pushed its way out of his mouth, but instead of falling off, it attached itself to his muzzle. His coat began to turn black and his eyes got big and glassy. Until they really were glass lenses. His skin became leather, and the thing that had come out first became a breathing apparatus. Doctor Constantine had become a gas masked drone, like all the others.

"Hello?" called a voice from elsewhere in the hospital, snapping the Doctor (Time-Pony) out of his mini trance and back to reality.

"Hello?" this one was female, Roseluck. The Doctor turned around and ran out of the ward. In the hospital corridor, he found Roseluck and the rogue time agent.

"Good evening," Jack greeted, "Hope we're not interrupting anything. I'm Jack Harness, I've been hearing about you all the way over."

"He knows, I had to tell him about us being time agents," Roseluck explained.

"And it's a real pleasure to meet you mister Clockwork," Jack said, walking past him into the medical ward.

"Clockwork?" asked the Doctor.

"What was I supposed to say? You don't have a name! Don't ever get tired of Doctor? Doctor Who?"

"Nine centuries in, I'm coping. Where've you been? We're in the biggest chaos storm ever, it's not a good time for a stroll."

"Who's strolling?" asked Roseluck also walking towards the ward, "I went by barrage balloon. Only way to see a chaos storm."

"What!?"

"Listen, what's a Chula warship?"

"Chula?"

* * *

Annabelle silently and quickly darted into the house; she needed to get in get out. The storm wasn't going to last for much longer. She returned to the dining room and began to take things off and put them into her bag. Suddenly the radio turned on.

"Please mummy. Please let me in. I'm scared of the bombs mummy. Please mummy." The front door slammed shut and a sound of small hooves walking down the hall. Bell cursed herself for being so stupid and dashed under the table.

"Mummy? Muummmy?" the colt called.

* * *

"This just isn't possible!" Jack cried after scanning a third patient. "How did this happen?"

"What kind of Chula ship landed here?" asked the Doctor.

"What?"

"He said it was a warship," Roseluck explained, "He stole it, parked it somewhere out there, somewhere a cloud's going to strike if we don't make him an offer."

"What kind of warship?" repeated the Doctor.

"Does it matter? It's got nothing to do with this!"

"This started at the crash site, it's got everything to do with it. What kind of warship?"

"An ambulance!" roared Jack. He pressed a button on his wrist device and a holographic image of the ship popped up. "See? That's what you chased through the Time Vortex. Its space junk. I wanted to kid you it was valuable. Its empty, I made sure of it, nothing but a shell. I threw it at you. Saw your time travel vehicle, love the retro look by the way, nice panels. Threw you the bait-"

"Bait?"

"I wanted to sell it to you then destroy it before you found out it was junk."

"You said it was a warship," Roseluck exclaimed.

"They have ambulances in wars," Jack stated sarcastically. "It was a con, I was conning you. That's I am, I'm a con man! I thought you were Time Agents, you're not are you?"

"Just a couple more freelancers," Roseluck replied.

"Oh-ho, should've known. The way you guys are blending in with the color. I mean, Flag Mare was bad enough but you Boat Captain?" Jack groaned, "Whatever's happening here's got nothing to do with the ship."

"What is happening here Doctor?" asked Roseluck. The Doctor looked around, "Pony DNA is being rewritten, by an idiot."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know. Some kind of virus is converting ponies into these things. But why? What's the point?"

* * *

Annabelle held her breath, the colt slowly walked into the dining room. He didn't know she was there thankfully. Her leg twitched, knocking her bag sideways sending an apple rolling along the ground. The colt heard it, he walked over and bent to pick it up. Bell leapt out from the table and rna for the door. But faster than was possible, the colt turned around and pointed, the door slammed shut and locked, trapping Annabelle.

"Are you my mummy?" he asked, advancing towards her, hoof outstretched.

* * *

Suddenly, every single patient in the ward sat straight up, each of them asking, "Mummy?"

"What's happening?" asked Roseluck, terrified.

"I don't know," the Doctor replied. All the patients, and Doctor Constantine, stood up, and began to shuffle towards them.

* * *

"Are you my mummy?" asked the colt, backing Bell into a corner.

"It's me, Annabelle, your sister."

"Mummy?"

"It's me! Annabelle!"

* * *

"Help me mummy," the masked-zombies cried, closing in.

"Don't let them touch you," the Doctor warned.

"What happens if they touch us?" asked Roseluck.

"You're looking at it."

* * *

"You're dead Shortie, you're dead!" Bell cried.

"Mummy? Mummy? Mummy?"

_To be continued in The Doctor Dances…_

**Me: Mwahahahaha, second cliffhanger on one of my favorite episodes.**

**Doctor: It wasn't my favorite.**

**Me: Of course not, you met Jack and almost got turned into a gas mask wearing zombie. But enough about that.**

**Doctor: BBC holds all copyright on Doctor Who, Hasbro holds all copyright to My Little Pony and related topics.**

**Me: A notice for those of you who happen to enjoy the show Sherlock as well as My Little Pony. Check that very same crossover archive, I've got something there you may like.**

**But, until next week, see you later! Onwards and Upwards!**


	11. Episode 10, The Doctor Dances

Doctor Whooves

_The Doctor Dances_

**And part two of our lovely little gas mask catastrophe. And this time, we've got bananas! :P**

How would you like it, if you were surrounded by practically dead, gas mask wearing, drone like pony-zombies, that were advancing towards you from all sides and if they toughed you you'd become like them? You'd probably be terrified. No, not terrified, hysterical, on the bridge of going into shock. But, the ponies in that situation, were anything but normal.

The Doctor, Roseluck, and Captain Jack Harness, were pressed against a wall, with at least a hundred of these things shuffling towards them. Halfway across Hoofdon, a Pegasus mare named AnnaBellee, was cornered by gas-mask that was the original, and also happened to be her baby brother. They were within touching distance, when the Doctor got an idea. They were all asking: "mummy? Mummy? Mummy?" So what if they thought they were kids?

The Doctor stepped forward.

"Go to your room," he ordered. All the patients stopped advancing, the colt did too. They cocked their heads, curious.

"Go to your room," the Doctor repeated sternly, "I mean it. I'm very, very angry with you. I am very very cross! Go, to, your, room!" They drones hung their heads sadly, turned, and shuffled back to their beds. The colt did the same, halfway across Hoofdon, with his head hung, he left the dining room and walked out of the house. Annabelle looked out the window and watched him slowly trot away.

"Oh Short Round," she said sadly, "I'm sorry."

**Cue the Doctor Who intro song!**

With the gas-mask zombies back in their beds, it was time to figure out what the hell was going on.

"Why are they all wearing gas masks?" she asked, standing as far away from them as possible.

"They're not," Jack replied, reclining at the desk, "Those masks are flesh and bone." The Doctor was pacing over by the door, deep in thought.

"How was your con supposed to work?" he asked, stopping and looking at Jack.

"Simple enough really. Fins some harmless piece of space junk, let the nearest time agent follow it back to Gaia, convince them its valuable, name a price. When they've put fifty percent up front, oops! A chaos strike hits it, destroys it forever. They never get to see what they've paid for, never knows he's been had. I but him a drink with his own money and we discuss dumb luck. The perfect self-cleaning con."

"Yeah, perfect."

"The Hoofdon storm is great for self-cleaners. The Shellton flood is nice if you want to make a vacation about it. But you have to set your alarm for hurricane day," Jack explained with a laugh, he stopped. "Getting a hint of disapproval."

"Take a look around the room," the Doctor said angrily, "This is what your harmless piece of space junk did."

"It was a burnt-out medical transporter. It was empty!" The Doctor turned and started to leave, "Roseluck."

"Are we getting out of here?" she asked.

"We're going upstairs."

"I even programmed the flight computer so it wouldn't land on anything living!" Jack protested, "I harmed nopony. I don't know what's going on here, but believe me, I had nothing to do with it!"

"I'll tell you what's happening," the Doctor said, hoof on the door, "You forgot to set your alarm. The hurricane's here!" A siren sounded from elsewhere in the city.

"What's that?" asked Roseluck.

"The all clear," Jack explained.

"I wish," muttered the Doctor, storming out.

* * *

AnnaBellee wiped a tear off her face just as the all clear siren sounded. She stood up and left the dining room, not much time before the family who lived here would return. She turned and tried to run out the back door, but as she walked towards the hall, a colt wearing a gas mask stepped in front of her. The both jumped in surprise, the little colt removed the gas mask.

"I thought you were Short Round," Belle grumbled before running past him out of the house. Once outside she readied her wings for take-off, but was stopped by the colt's father tackling her.

"Get off me!" she cried, struggling against his grip as he pulled her into the house, "Get your hooves off me!"

* * *

The Doctor had disappeared, Roseluck and Captain Jack were racing through the hospital trying find him.

"Mister Clockwork?"

"Doctor!" They ran past a staircase, the Doctor was just one floor up.

"Have you got a blaster?" he asked, the duo skidded to a stop and raced back.

"Sure!" Jack chirped, galloping up the stairs and pulling out a silver and blue gun thing. Rose4luck followed the other two to room 802, an observation room with a heavy steel door.

"The night your space junk landed, somepony was hurt, this is where they were taken," the Doctor explained.

"What happened?" asked Roseluck.

"Let's find out," he turned to Jack, "Get it open." As Jack readied his blaster, Roseluck whispered to the Doctor: "What's wrong with the sonic screwdriver?"

"Nothing," the Doctor whispered back. _Zap!_ Jack fired his blaster and carved a perfect square where the door's lock was.

"Sonic blaster," the Doctor noted, taking the gun for a closer look, "fifty first century. Weapon Factories of Villengard?"

"You've been to the factories?" asked Jack.

"Once."

"well, they're gone now, destroyed. The main reactor went critical, vaporized the lot."

"Like I said, once," the Time-Pony replied, handing the blaster back. "There's a banana grove there now, I like bananas. Bananas are good." (true dat!) And he went into the room. Roseluck looked at the blast pattern, "Nice shot."

"Digital."

"Squareness gun."

"Yep."

"I like it." And they too entered the room.

It was a standard observation room. File cabinets, a desk with recording instruments, and a shattered observing window. Glass littered the floor, along with scattered papers and a discarded, what? A discarded teddy bear.

"What do you think?" asked the Doctor, shifting through the papers on the desk.

"Something got out of here," Jack replied.

"Yes, and?"

"Something powerful, and angry."

"Powerful and angry." Roseluck walked past the first room and into the second, papers were taped up on the wall. Each one had a crayon drawing of a family on it, but the walls were covered in them too. There was a small bed thrown sideways against the wall, and a crushed rocking horse in the corner.

"A child?" she asked.

"Guess this explains mummy," Jack added.

"How could a child do this?" she questioned looking at the smashed window. The Doctor activated a recording device on the desk, it started to playback the tape.

_"Do you know where you are?"_ asked the voice of a doctor.

_"Are you my mummy?_" came the colt's reply.

"_Are you aware of what's around you? Can you, can you see?"_

_ "Are you my mummy?"_

_ "What do you want? Do you know where-"_

_ "I want my mummy. Are you my mummy? I want my mummy! Are you my mumy?_"

"Doctor, I've heard this voice before," Roseluck said, kind of scared.

"Me too," he replied.

_"Mummy?"_

"Always, are you my mummy? Like he doesn't know," Rosleuck said, "Why doesn't he know?"

"_Are you there mummy? Mummy!"_

* * *

"the police are on their way," Mr. Wells said, locking the door behind him. Annabelle rolled her eyes, like the police could punish her that badly. There was a bigger problem and she had to fix it.

"I paid for the food on this table," Mr. Wells began, "The sweat on my brow that food is. The sweat, on my brow. (Ew. Really?) Anything else you'd like? I've got a whole, house here. Anything else you'd like to, help yourself to?" Belle smiled up at him.

"Yeah, I'd like some wire cutters please," she said sweetly, "Something that can cut through barbed wire. Oh, and a torch." Mr. Wells looked surprised. "Don't look at me like that Mr. Wells, I know you've got plenty of tools here. I've been watching this house for some time. Oh, and I'd like another look around your kitchen cupboards, I was in a hurry the first time, I want to see if I missed anything."

"The food on this table-"

It's an awful lot of food isn't it Mr. Wells," Belle interrupted, "A lot more than on anypony else's table. Half this street thinks something fishy is going on in this house. Is that true Mr. Wells?" she asked sarcastically. Belle stood up and looked him in the eye, "Wire cutter, torch, food. Oh, and I'd like to use your bathroom before I leave. Oh look, there's the sweat on your brow." And she trotted out of the room.

* * *

The Doctor shook his head, then ran into the other half of the room. He walked along the walls, ears twitching like he was searching for something.

"Doctor?"

"Can you sense it?" he asked.

"Sense what?" asked Jack.

"Coming out of the walls, can you feel it?" He stopped walking and stared aat them in disbelief, "Look at you, your both so vacant. How do manage?" (Sherlock quote)

"When he's stressed he likes to insult species," Roseluck explained, "Cuts himself shaving, does half an hour on life forms he's cleverer than."

"Mummy?"

"There are these foals," the Doctor began, stopping in front of the shattered window, :living rough around the strike sites. They come out during storms looking for food."

"Mummy please!"

"Suppose they were there when this thing, whatever it was, landed?"

"It was a med-ship it was harmless," Jack insisted.

"Yes, you keep saying harmless. Suppose one of them was affected, altered?" The tape ran out, making a clicky clicky noise as it continued to spin.

"Altered how?" asked Roseluck.

"I'm here!"

"It's afraid," the Doctor realized, "Terribly afraid, and powerful. It doesn't know it yet, but it will. It's got the power of a god and I just sent it to its room."

"Doctor."

"I'm here. Can't you see me?"

"What's that noise?" asked Roseluck, scared.

"End of the tape," the Doctor replied, "It ran out about thirty seconds ago."

"I'm here now. Can't you see me?"

"I sent it to its room," the Doctor said with a quirky smile, "This is its room." He spun around and lo and behold the gas masked colt himself was standing in the doorway.

"Are you my mummy?" he asked, looking directly at Roseluck.

"Okay, on my signal, make for the door," Jack instructed.

"Mummy?"

"Now!" He aimed his blaster at the colt, but it was a banana. The Doctor smirked at him before nicking the blaster and firing it at the wall creating a large square to exit.

"Go now!" he cried, "Don't drop the banana!"

"Why not?!" asked Jack, leaping through.

"Good source of potassium!" Roseluck leapt second then the Doctor followed. Jack snatched his blaster back and fired it a second time at the wall,, reversing the shot and filling the hole back together.

"Digital rewind," he said tossing the banana back to the Doctor, "Nice switch."

"It's from the groves of Villenguard," the Doctor explained pocketing the snack, "I thought it was appropriate."

"There's really a banana grove in the heart of Villenguard and you did that?"

"Bananas are good." CRACK! Suddenly, the newly fixed wall began to crack as the colt forced his way through.

"Doctor!"

"Come on!" and they ran, but as they were about hallway down the hall, the doors at the end flung open and an army of patients marched towards them. They skidded to a stop and ran the opposite direction, but another group was coming. Trapping them in front of the cracking and failing brick wall.

"It's keeping us here until it can get at us," the Doctor said nervously.

"It's controlling them?" Jack cried, aiming his blaster at them.

"It is them! It's every living thing in this hospital!

"Okay. This can function as a sonic blaster, a sonic cannon, and a triple enfolded sonic disrupter. Doc what'cha got?"

"I've got a sonic," he pulled out the screwdriver, "Oh never mind."

"What?"

"It's sonic okay? Let's leave it at that."

"Disrupter? Cannon? What?!" The patients were closing in and the wall wouldn't last much longer.

"It's sonic! Totally sonic! I am soniced up!"

"A sonic what!?"

"Screwdriver!" The wall finally crumbled and the patients were less than a yard away on either side. Roseluck grabbed Jack's blaster and aimed it at the floor, "Going down!" and she blasted it. Sending all three of them falling down into the ward below. Jack caught himself midair, grabbed the blaster, and repaired the ceiling.

"Doctor, you okay?" asked Roseluck.

"Could've used a warning," he replied getting to his hooves and wiping cement dust off his jacket.

"Oh the gratitude."

"Who has a Sonic Screwdriver?" asked Jack landing in front of the Doctor.

"I do," the Doctor replied.

"We've got to find the lights," Roseluck said, searching.

"Who looks at a screwdriver and says, ooh, this could be a little more sonic?"

"What, you've never been bored?"

"There's got to be a light switch."

"Never had a long night? Never had a lot of cabinets to put up?" Roseluck found the lights and clicked them on. All the patients in the ward sat straight up and began calling Mummy? Once more.

"Run!" Roseluck yelled.

"Door!" They ran over to another door, hopefully and exit, Jack tried to blast out the lock. Once, twice, three times, nope.

"Dang it!" he yelled smacking the gun. "Stupid special features, they always drain the battery." The Doctor shoved past, screwdriver at the ready, and scanned the lock. It popped open and they ran inside. They slammed it shut behind them and the Doctor super-locked it.

"It runs on a battery?" Roseluck asked, "That's so lame!"

"I was going to order another but somepony's got to blow up the factory," Jack said sarcastically.

"Okay, the door should hold it for a bit," the Doctor said running past them.

"The door? The wall didn't stop it!"

"Well it's got to find us first. Come on, we're not done yet! Assets, assets!" He began to search the room, Jack merely sat down in an idle wheelchair.

"Well I've got a banana and in a pinch you could put up some shelves," he said.

"Window-"

"Barred. Sheer drop outside. Seven stories."

"And no other exits," added Roseluck.

"Well the assets conversation went by in a flash, didn't it?" The Doctor looked at Roseluck skeptically, "So, where'd you meet this one?"

"Doctor…"

"She was hanging from a barrage balloon, I had an invisible spaceship, I never stood a chance." Jack joked.

"Okay. One, we've got to get out of here. Two, we can't get out of here. Have I missed anything?" asked the Doctor returning to his search. Roseluck glanced back at Jack, but only saw an empty wheelchair.

"Yeah, Jack just disappeared."

* * *

Annabelle stepped into the ramshackle shack and saw five foals sitting in there, Dusty, Lightning, and three others. Dusty was typing away on a typewriter, making a click click noise.

"Thought as much," she sighed, "What are all of you doing here? Different house every night, I told you."

"We thought you were dead," Dusty explained, "Or you'd run off." _Click, click._

"I didn't," Lightning explained proudly, "I knew you'd come back for us." _Click, click, click._ Belle sighed and dumped her saddle bags out onto the floor, apples and a few pieces of cheese tumbled out. _Click, click-click._

"Found that old thing in the junk, thinks he can write now," Lightning explained.

"I'm writing a letter to me dad," Dusty added. _Click, clickity click._

"You don't even know where your dad is. And how're you going to send it?" _click, click click._

"I don't know, stick it in an envelope?" _Click click._

"You can't even read or write." _Click._

"I don't need to, I've got a machine." _Click, click, click click._

"Will you stop making that noise!" Belle ordered, Dusty stopped, hooves poised over the keyboard. "I'm sorry Dusty, on you go, you write a letter to your dad if you want to."

"I know we should'v gone to another house, but we need you, for the thinking," Lightning explained.

"And what if I wasn't here?" Dusty stopped typing, "What if one night, I didn't come back? There's a chaos storm out there. Ponies go out and they don't always come back. It happens, what would you do then?" Lightning spotted the wire cutters and picked them up, "Why do you have wire cutters?"

"I need you to think about it. Somepony's got to look after this lot."

"Why? Are you going somewhere?"

"The crash site," she said. There was a collective gasp. _Click, click._ "The one at the railway station."

"Why?" _Click._

"The colt, that's where he was killed. That's where it all started. And I'm going to find out how." _Click click click._

"He'll get you, and then he'll come for us! He always comes for us!" _click click click click._

"No lightning, he doesn't. He always come after me," Belle said, taking the wire cutters and standing up. "There are things I haven't told you. Things I can't tell you." _Click click click,_ "As long as you're with me, you're in danger. Even now, sitting her, you're in danger because of me." _click click._

"You're the one who keeps us safe!" _click click click._

_ "_You think so Lightning? Then answer this. Dusty sitting right there next to you. So who's typing?" Nopony was typing, it was going on it's own. _Click, click, click, click, _ and then it stopped. Belle reached over and took the paper.

"Belle? Is he coming?" asked Lightning.

"Lightning, as long as your with me, he's always coming." She looked at the others, "Plenty of greens, and chew your food!" Belle threw the paper down and ran out of the shack. Lightning reached forward and picked up the crumpled paper, beneath Dusty's typed gibberish, was the phrase: Are you my mummy? Over and over.

* * *

"Okay, so he's vanished into thin air," Roseluck noted, "Why is it always the great looking ones that do that?" The Doctor glared at her, "I'm making an effort not to be insulted."

"I mean stallions," she explained.

"Okay thanks, that really helps." Suddenly the radio sitting in a wall alcove, unplugged and probably broken, crackled to life.

_"Roseluck? Doctor? Can you hear me?"_ Both of them dashed over to the radio. _"I'm back on my ship. Used the emergency teleport. Sorry I couldn't take you. It's security keyed to my molecular structure."_

"How're you speaking to us?" asked the Doctor, holding up a torn and frayed radio plug.

"_Om-com,"_ Jack explained, _"I can call anything with a speaker grill."_

"Now there's a coincidence."

"_What is?"_

"The colt can om-com too."

"He can?" asked Roseluck.

"Anything with a speaker grill. Even the Tardis phone."

"What, you mean the colt can phone us?"

"_And I can hear you, time to find you! Time to find you!" _the colt sang over the radio.

"_Doctor, can you hear that?" _asked Jack

"Loud and clear."

_ "I'll try to block it out. Least I can do."_

_ "Coming to find you mummy!"_

_ "Remember this one Roseluck?"_ Jazz began to play out of the radio, the same song she and Jack had danced to on his ship.

"Our song," she explained when the Doctor looked confused.

* * *

Annabelle landed just outside the rail station without so much as a crunch of gravel under hoof. Guards walked about, around the gate and the thing it was hiding. She pulled out the wire cutters and leaned in close to the gate. A portion of it was simply wrapped with barbed wire, nothing else. _Snip, twang!_ She cut the wire, and cringed at the loud noise it made.

* * *

Roseluck was bored, she was stuck in a gas mask zombie infected hospital, trapped in a store room with no way out, and she was bored. To cure her boredom, she was sitting in a wheelchair, wheeling it around the room. The Doctor was pointing his Sonic Screwdriver at the wall, and not moving.

"What'cha doin?" asked Roseluck, spinning the chair around to face him.

"Trying to set up a resonation pattern in the concrete," the Doctor explained, focused on the wall, "Loosen the bars."

"You don't think he's coming back, do you?"

"Wouldn't bet my life."

"Why don't you trust him?"

"I don't trust anypony I've met twice. And the first time he knew us before we knew him."

"What?"

"Why do you trust him?"

"He saved my life. Bloke-wise, that's up there with flossing. I trust him because he's like you. Except with more dating and dancing." The Doctor stopped scanning and looked at her. "What?"

"You assume I'm,"

"What?"

"You just assume I don't dance.

'What, are you telling me you do dance?" He turned back to his oh-so important concrete wall, "Nine hundred years old, I've been around a bit, I think you can assume I've danced."

"You?"

"Problem?"

"Doesn't the universe implode or something if you dance?"

"Well I've got the moves but I wouldn't want to boast." Roseluck smirked, stepped out of the wheelchair and over to the radio. The jazz music got louder, the Doctor turned around and found Roseluck smirking at him.

"You've got the moves? Show me your moves."

"Roseluck, I'm trying to resonate concrete."

"Jack will be back. He'll get us out. So come on," she held out her hoof, "The world doesn't end because the Doctor dances." The Doctor put his sonic away then stepped off the window ledge. But instead of dancing with Roseluck, he looked closely at her hooves.

"Barrage balloon?" he asked.

"What?"

"You were hanging from a barrage balloon."

"Oh yeah, about two minutes after you left me. Thousands of feet in the air, middle of a chaos storm, Union Jack on my back."

"I've traveled with a lot of ponies, but you're setting new records for jeopardy friendly."

"Is this you dancing? Because I've got notes."

"Hanging from a rope thousands of feet above Hoofdon. Not a cut not a bruise."

"Yeah, I know. Captain Jack fixed me up."

"Oh we're calling him Captain Jack now are we?"

"Well, his name's Jack and He's a captain."

"He's not really a captain Roseluck."

"Do you know what I think? I think you're experiencing Captain envy," Roseluck said, half-jokingly. "You'll find your hooves at the end of your legs. You may care to move them."

"If he ever was a Captain, he's been defrocked."

"Yeah? Shame I missed that."

"Actually, I quit. Nopony takes my frock." Roseluck and the Doctor stepped back from each other, into the walls of Jack's spaceship. "You know, most ponies notice when they've been teleported. You two are so sweet. Sorry about the delay, I had to take the nav-com offline to override teleport security."

"You can spend ten minutes overriding your own protocols? Maybe you should remember who's ship it is."

"Oh i do," Jack replied, "She was gorgeous. Like I told her, be back in five minutes."

"This is a Chula ship," the Doctor noted.

"Yeah, just like the medical transport, only this one is dangerous." Jack explained. Suddenly, a cloud of nanogenes swarmed the Doctor's left hoof.

"Those are what fixed me up," Roseluck said.

"Nanobots? No, nanogenes."

"Nanogenes yeah."

"Sub-atomic robots. There's millions of them in here." He inspected his hoof, "Burned my hoof on the console when we landed. All better now. The activate when the bulk head's sealed. Check you out for damage, fix any physical flaws." He turned to Jack, "take us to the crash site, I need to see your 'space junk'."

"As soon as I get the nav-com back online," jack said, spinning the chair around to the controls, "until then, make yourself comfortable. Carry on with whatever you two were doing."

"We were talking about dancing."

"It didn't look like talking."

"And it didn't feel like dancing," Roseluck added.

* * *

Belle crawled through the opening in the barbed wire, she was in. She quickly and silently dashed over to the crashed object. But as she began to pull off the tarp, bright lights flashed on all around her and rifles chck-chcked. She was surrounded.

* * *

"So, you used to be a Time Agent, and now you're trying to con them?" Roseluck asked, sitting against the wall while Captain Jack rebooted the nav-com.

"If it make me sound any better, it's not for money," Jack replied.

"What's it for then?"

"Woke one day when I was still working for them, found they'd stolen two years of my memory. Two years of my life, no idea what I did." He glanced back at the Doctor. "Your friend over there doesn't trust me, and for all I know, he's right not to." He turned back and flipped a few more switches, "Okay, we are good to go. Crash site?"

* * *

The soldiers escorted Belle into a parked traincar to serve as a temporary holding cell. A stallion was in there, he was resting his forehead against the table, he was also very pale. The minute Belle came in he tried to stand up and salute.

"As you were," the lead soldier escorting her said, "Feeling any better Finch?"

"Just a touch sir," the pale stallion replied, sitting back down.

"Chain her up," the leader said, "We'll leave her here where Finch can keep an eye on her."

"No, not in here. Not with him," she begged. She'd spotted something the soldiers hadn't, a Y shaped scar on the bottom of Finch's hoof.

"You shouldn't have broken in here if you didn't want to stay," the leader said as she was hoof-cuffed to a leg of the table across from Finch.

"You don't understand, not with him!" Belle begged.

"This is a restricted area miss. You can just sit here for a bit. We're going to have to ask you a few questions."

"Found these sir," one of the other soldiers said, handing the Captain her wirecutters.

"Very professional. A little bit too professional. Didn't just drop in by accident did you?"

"My little brother died here, I came to find out what killed him." The Captain looked back at his soldiers, "Take the men, check the fence for any other breaches and search the area. She may not have come here alone." The soldiers saluted then galloped off.

"Please!" Annabelle begged, "You can't leave me here!"

"Watch her Finch."

"Yes mummy," Finch replied shakily.

"Finch?"

"Sorry sir, I don't know what's the matter with me."

"Look, lock me up fine but not here! Anywhere but here! Please!" The Captain glanced at her once more, then left the room.

"You'll be alright miss," Finch said, wheezing, "I'm just a little.. just a little, just a little, What's the matter with you?" Belle kept pulling on the chains trying to get them to snap or anything.

"Please let me go," she begged again.

"Why would I do that?" asked Finch.

"Because you've got a scar on your hoof."

"Yes well I don't see how that's go to-"

"And you feel like you're going to be sick, like something's forcing its way up your throat. I know because I've seen it before."

"What's happening to me?" asked Finch, desperate and terrified.

"In a minute, you won't be you anymore," Belle said solemnly, "You won't even remember you. And unless you let me go, it's going to happen to me. Please."

"What're you talking about?"

"What's your mother's name?" asked Belle.

"Marsh," he replied, short of breath.

"You got a wife?"

"Yes."

"Wife's name," she instructed, "You got kids? What's your name? Please, let me go. It's too late for you. I'm sorry, but please, let, me, go."

"What do you mmmmm," too late, "Mmmmmm, muh, mummy!"

* * *

The Doctor, Roseluck, and Captain Jack Harness had arrived at the train station. They were hiding behind a parked train preparing a plan of attack.

"There it is," Jack said, pointing to the large pink tarp covered thing. "Hey, they've got Algy on duty. It must be important."

"We've got to get past him," the Doctor said.

"Are the words distract the guard heading in my direction?" asked Roseluck.

"I don't think that would be such a good idea," Jack warned.

"Don't worry, I can handle it," Roseluck said defensively.

"I've gotten to know Algy quite well since I've been in town. Trust me, you're not his type. I'll distract him." He turned and hopped on top of the train they were hiding behind, "Don't wait up!" Roseluck watched nervously as Jack approached his friend.

"Relax, he's a fifty first century guy," the Doctor said, "He's just a bit more flexible when it comes to dancing."

"How flexible?" asked Roseluck.

"Well, by his time, you lot have spread across half the galaxy."

"Meaning?"

"So many species so little time." Roseluck groaned and face-hoofed, he couldn't be serious.

Down by the fence, Jack waltzed up to his friend.

"Hey tiger, how's it hanging?" he asked. Algy turned and looked at him, head cocked curiously.

"Mummy?" he asked.

"Algy, old sport, it's me."

"Mummy?" he asked again.

"It's me, Jack."

"Jack? Are you my mummy?" Algy's head snapped back and he fell to the ground, Jack watched as his friend's face grew into a gas mask Roseluck and the Doctor ran out from their hiding place.

"Stay back!" the Doctor cried.

"You men, stay back!" Jack ordered. The Doctor knelt next to morphed Algy, "The effect's become airborne, accelerating."

"What's keeping us safe?" asked Roseluck.

"Nothing," the Doctor replied grimly. The storm siren started to scream again.

"Oh here they come again," Jack yelled.

"Wonderful!" Roseluck said sarcastically, "Wait, didn't you say a cloud was going to strike here?"

"Never mind that, if the contaminants airborne now, there's hours left," the Doctor said.

"Till what?" asked Jack.

"Until nothing, forever. For the entire planet. And can anypony else hear singing?" Indeed, somepony was singing a lullaby. Belle, still trapped in the train car, with a gas masked stallion right in front of her, was singing to keep him asleep. She had just finished a song when the door creaked open, the Doctor motioned for her to keep singing. She kept going, he crept forward, sonic in hoof, and scanned to chain cuff keeping her attached to the table.

_Snap!_ The cuffs broke and they ran out of there.

* * *

Jack threw back the large pink tarp, revealing a large metal crashed ship.

"You see?" he said, "Just and ambulance."

"That's an ambulance?" asked Belle in disbelief.

"It's kind of hard to explain," Roseluck said, "It's from another world."

"They've been trying to get in," Jack noted, looking at scratch marks that could only be made by crowbars and spells.

"Of course they have," the Doctor said, "They think it's some sort of super weapon or something. What're you doing?" Jack was typing numbers into the key pad, "The sooner you see this thing is empty, the sooner you'll know I had nothing to do with it." _Bang!_ The console sparked violently and an alarm began to scream.

"That did not happen last time," Jack said, hooves raised.

"It hadn't crash last time. There'll be emergency protocols."

"Doctor, what is it?" asked Roseluck.

It was calling the troops, every single gas-mask-for-a-face-pony stood up, and began to march towards the crash site, with the colt in the lead. Some were already there, slamming on the gates trying to get it open.

"Doctor!"

"Captain, secure those gates!" the Doctor commanded.

"Why?" asked jack.

"Just do it!" Jack turned, and ran for the metal gates. "Belle, how'd you get in?"

"I cut the wire," she replied.

"Show Roseluck," he pulled out the sonic screwdriver and tossed it to her, "Setting two thousand four hundred twenty eight D."

"What?" she asked, catching it with her teeth.

"It reattached barbed wire, go!" She nodded and followed Annabelle. They found the cut wire crawlspace she'd come through the first time. Rosleuck activated the sonic and Belle held the wire together.

"Who are you?" Belle finally asked, "Who are any of you?"

"You'd never believe me if I told you," Roseluck replied, the wire seald up and they started on the second.

"You just told me that was an ambulance from another world. There are ponies running around with gas mask head calling for their mummies, and the sky is full of chaos clouds trying destroy us. Tell me, do you think there's anything left couldn't believe?"

"We're time travelers from the future," Roseluck said.

"mad you are."

"We have a time travel machine. Seriously!"

"It's not that. Alright, you can travel through time, I believe you. But what future?"

"Belle, this isn't the end. I know how it looks, but it's not the end of the world or anything."

"How can you say that? Look around you!"

"Listen to me. I was born in this city, I'm from here in like fifty years' time."

"From here?"

"I'm a Hoofdoner, from your future."

"But how? The city must be gone by then."

"Belle, the cloud doesn't destroy everything. It doesn't win. Don't tell anypony I told you so, but you know what? You win."

"We win?" Roseluck smiled, the last piece of wire fit itself together, and they ran back to the ship. Jack had finally gotten the ship open, but the alarm still blared loudly.

"It's empty look at it," he said.

"What do you expect in a Chula medical transporter? Bandages? Cough drops?" asked the Doctor sarcastically, "Roseluck, any ideas?"

"I don't know."

"Yes you do." She gasped, "Nanaogenes!"

"It wasn't empty Captain, there was enough nanogenes in that ship to rebuild a species."

"Oh come on!" Jack cried angrily.

"getting it now are we? Whe the ship crashes, the nanogenes escape. Billions upon billions of them, ready to fix all the cuts and bruises in the whole world. But what they find first is a dead colt, probably killed earlier that night, and wearing a gas mask."

"nd they brought him back to life? They can do that?" asked Roseluck.

"What's life? Life's easy, a quirk of matter. Nature's way of keeping meat fresh," the Doctor replied, "Nothing to a nanogene. One problem though, these nanogenes aren't like the ones on your ship. This lot have never seen a pony before. Don't know what a pony's supposed to look like, and all they've got is one little body and there's not a lot left. But they carry right on, they do what they were programmed to do.

"They patch him up, can't tell what's gas mask and what's skull, but they door their best. Then off they fly, work to be done. Because, you see, now they think they know what a pony's supposed to look like, and it's time to fix all the rest. And they won't ever stop, they won't ever ever stop. The entire Equestrian race is going to be torn down and rebuilt in the form of one terrified colt looking for his mother and nothing in the world can stop it!"

"I didn't know," Jack said, defeated. The Doctor turned, and began to work on the ambulance. Belle looked around, and saw a giant crowd of gas mask ponies approaching the compound.

"Roseluck!" she called. Roseluck ran over and saw the crowd

"It's bringing the gas mask ponies here, isn't it?"

"The ship think's it's under attack. It's calling the troops. Standard protocol."

"But they aren't troops."

"They are now, this is a battle field ambulance. The nanogenes don't just fix you up, they get you ready for the front line. Equip you, program you."

"That's why the colt's so strong," Roseluck realized, "that's why can Om-com."

"It's a fully equipped Chula warrior, yes. All that weapons tech in the hooves of a hysterical four year old looking for his mummy. And now there was an army of them." They were surrounded, gas masks in every direction, even up. The Doctor slid off of the ship.

"Why don't they attack?" asked Jack.

"Good little soldiers, waiting for their commander," the Doctor replied.

"The colt?"

"Short Round."

"What?"

"Not the colt, Short Round," Belle corrected angrily.

"How long till the cloud strikes?" asked Roseluck.

"Any second," Jack replied nervously.

"What's the matter captain? A little too close to the eye of the storm for you?"

"He's just a little boy," Belle moaned, "He's just a little boy who wants his mummy."

"I know, there isn't a little colt born who wouldn't tear the world apart to save his mummy," said the Doctor, "and this one can."

"So what're we going to do?" asked Roseluck.

"I don't know," the Doctor replied. Belle began to cry, "This is all my fault."

"No."

"It is, it's all my fault," she insisted.

"How can it be your-"

"Mummy! Mummy!" the patients cried. The Doctor looked at Belle, then it dawned on him.

"Belle, how old are you?" he asked, "Twenty? Twenty one? Older than you look yes?" _Crack!_ Outside the fence, there was a strike of chaos energy, nearly hitting some of the gas masked soldiers.

"Doctor, the strike, we've got seconds," Jack cried, panicking.

"You can teleport us out," Roseluck said.

"Not you guys, the nav-com's back online. It'll take too long to override the protocols."

"So it's hurricane day, do what you've got to do."

"Jack!" But he'd already vanished in a flash of blue.

"How old were you five years ago?" the Doctor asked Belle, "Fifteen? Sixteen? Old enough to give birth anyway. He's not your brother is he?" Belle nodded, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"A teenage single mother in 841, so you hid. You lied. You even lied to him." _Crash!_ The crash site gates swung open, Short Round was standing there with a battalion of others behind him.

"Are you my mummy?" he asked.

"he's going to keep asking belle. He's never going to stop." Belle wiped away her tears, and looked up at her, only son.

"Tell him Belle," the Doctor said, "The future of Equestria is in your hooves. Trust me, and tell him." Belle nodded, and she walked away from the Doctor and towards Short Round. The little colt walked forward as well.

"Are you my mummy?" he asked, looking up at Belle.

"Yes," she whispered, "Yes, I am your mummy."

"Mummy?"

"I'm here."

"Are you my mummy?"

"Yes."

"Are you my mummy?"

"He doesn't understand," the Doctor said, "There's not enough of him left."

"I am your mummy," Belle said firmly, "I will always be your mummy." She knelt down and hugged Short Round, "I'm so sorry, I'm so, so sorry." A cloud of nanogenes suddenly appeared around them both, they kept swirling around, seemingly confused.

"What's happening?" asked Roseluck, "Doctor, it's changing her, we should-" The Doctor stopped her from interfering

"Shh," he looked back, "Come on, please. Come on you clever little nanogenes, figure it out. The mother, she's the mother. It's got to be enough information. Figure it out."

"What's happening?"

"Their recognizing the same DNA," the Doctor explained. The nanogenes dispersed, flying off in all directions. Short Round let go of Belle, she fell back. The Doctor ran forward, "Oh come on, give me a day like this. Give me this one." He reached forward and pulled off the gas mask. Underneath, was a smiling colt with huge blue eyes and rosy cheeks.

The Doctor began to smile, he lifted up Short Round and swung him around, "Welcome back! 10 years till jazz music, your going to love it." He set the colt down.

"What happened?" asked Annabelle standing up and hugging her son.

"The nanogenes recognized the superior information, the parent DNA," the Doctor explained giddily, "They didn't change you because you changed them!"

"Doctor! The cloud!"

"Taken care of it," he replied.

"How?"

"Psychology." The very cloud that was going to strike was about to get I position when a blue beam of light appeared and caught it, Jack's space ship flew into sight. Jack appeared on top of the cloud.

"Doctor!" he called.

"Good lad!" the Time-Pony replied.

"The cloud's already charged and ready to fire. I've put it in stasis but it won't last long."

"Change of plans. Don't need the cloud. Can you get rid of it? Safely as you can?"

"Roseluck!"

"Yes?"

"Goodbye." Then he and the cloud vanished, but they reappeared a second later.

"By the way," he called, "Love the jacket." And he disappeared. The whole ship flew off into space.

The Doctor walked a few feet away from the ship, a cloud of nanogenes suddenly surrounded him.

"What're you doing?" asked Roseluck.

"Software patch," he replied, "going to e-mail the upgrade. You want moves Roseluck? I'll give you moves." He spun around twice then thrust his hooves out, sending a wave of golden robots towards the still gas masked patients. They collapsed, but they did return to normal.

"Everypony lives Roseluck," the Doctor said happily, "Just this once, EVERYPONY LIVES!" and they were all alive, every single one. Nopony had died, for the first time in Whooves history, nopony had died of anything! The Doctor ran over to Doctor Constantine, who was testing his legs, in surprise that they were working.

"Doctor Constantine, who never left his patients. Back on your hooves, the world isn't quite ready to get along without you just yet and I don't blame it one bit. These are your patients, all better now."

"Yes, yes, so it seems. They also appear to be standing in a disused railway station, is there any particular reason for that?"

"Yeah well, cut backs. Listen, whatever was wrong with them before, you're probably going to find that they are cured. Just tell them what a great Doctor you are, don't make a large fuss. Okay?" Constantine nodded, the Doctor smiled and galloped back over to the spaceship. He climbed right up on top.

"Right you lot, lots to do," he called to all the ponies, "beat the storm, save the world, and don't forget those trade routes!" He knelt down and began to work on the ship's controls, "Setting this to self-destruct, soon as everypony is clear. History says there was an explosion here, who am I to argue with history?"

"Usually the first in line," Roseluck added.

* * *

"The nanogenes will clean up the mess and switch themselves off, because I told them to. Annabelle and Short Round will go to Doctor Constantine for help, ditto. All in all, fantastic!" the Doctor ran up into the Tardis and straight to the center, wearing a smile and talking a million miles a minute.

"Look at you, beaming like you've got a golden ticket," Roseluck said.

"Who says I don't? Fancy a trip to the gala Roseluck?"

"What?!"

"Go on, ask me anything, I'm on fire!"

"What about Jack?" asked Roseluck, popping the mood bubble, "Why'd he say goodbye?"

* * *

Out in space, light minutes away from Gaia, Jack's ship was cruising trying to find a suitable place to dump the chaos cloud.

"Okay computer, how long can we keep the cloud in stasis?" he asked, glancing back at the multi-colored cloud inside the containment pod, spiking and shifting erratically.

"_Stasis decaying at ninety percent cycle,_" the computer said cheerfully, "_detonation in three minutes."_

"Can we jettison it?" asked Captain Jack hopefully.

"_Any attempt to jettison the device will precipitate detonation. One hundred percent probability._" Jack groaned, "We could stick it in an escape pod."

"_There is no escape pod on board_."

"I see the flaw in that, I'll get in the escape pod."

"_There is no escape pod on board_."

"Did you check everywhere?"

"_Affirmative._"

"Under the sink?!"

"_Affirmative._" Jack sighed and leaned back in the chair, "Okay, out of one hundred, exactly how dead am I?"

_"Termination of Captain Jack Harness in under two minutes. One hundred percent probability."_

"Lovely, thanks. Good to know the numbers."

"_You're welcome."_ The ship replied.

"Okay then, I think we'd better initiate emergency protocol four one seven."

"_Affirmative."_ On the dash board beside him, a large mug of ice cold cider materialized. Jack picked it up and took a sip.

"Oo, little too much cinnamon. See if I come here again." He took another drink, tapping the side of his mug with his hoof thoughtfully.

"Funny thing, last time I was sentenced to death, I ordered four hyper-lattes for my breakfast, all really a blur after that. Woke up with both of my executioners in the aftermath of some kind of super party. Lovely couple, they stayed in touch. Can; say that about most executioners." He took another swig of cider, "Anyways, thanks for everything computer, it's been great." Suddenly, he heard music. The same song he and Roseluck had danced to, coming from the back of the ship.

Jack swiveled the chair around and looked past the chaos cloud in stasis, at the back of his ship was a blue box with the doors wide open. Inside, Jack could see the Doctor and Roseluck, dancing.

"Well hurry up then!" Roseluck called. Jack leapt out of his seat and ran for the Tardis, and safe! The two other time travelers were making an attempt to dance to the waltz music. Roseluck was doing a pretty good job, the Doctor, not so much.

"Okay, and right and turn. Hey, ow, okay, try and spin me again, but this time don't get my hoof up my back. No extra points for a half nelson."

"I'm sure I used to know this stuff," the Doctor grumbled, "Hey! Close the door will you? Your ship's about to blow up. There's going to be a draft." Jack turned around and shut the door, the Doctor started up the engines.

"Welcome to the Tardis." Jack looked about, "Much bigger on the inside."

"you'd better be."

"I think what the Doctor's trying to say, is that you may cut in," Roseluck said, holding her hoof out to Jack. Suddenly, the music changed from waltz to swing, a bouncy tune with horns of all sorts. The Doctor began to bob his head to the beat.

"Roseluck!" he called, "I've just remembered!"

"What?"

"I can dance!" he said tapping his hooves and bouncing to the beat, "I can dance!"

"Actually Doctor, I thought jack might like this dance."

"I'm sure he would Roseluck, I'm absolutely certain. But who with?" Roseluck smiled, jumped up onto the platform, and danced with her alien partner. She was right, the world doesn't end because the Doctor dances.

_To be continued in Boom Town…_

**Me: Voila, another episode finished. Disclaimers and stuff, moving on.**

**Next week's episode might come a tad late, aka, 5/22/13 by _the_ very latest. Why? My family is going camping and I might not finish on time. So wish me luck that I might be able to get it in on time, or close to on time. Until then, Avante!  
**


	12. Episode 11, Boom Town

Doctor Whooves

_Boom Town_

**Hello, what do we have here? A casual visit to Cardhoof? That can't be! Nothing is ever that easy for our time warp trio of ponies.**

**ANd yes, this episode is a tad bit boring, but it is just a space-filler. And a foreshadow-er...**

"I've checked the figures. I've checked them again and again. Always the same result. The design is not safe," the chaos scientist Dr. Cleaver said nervously, "It could result in the death of millions. I beg of you, stop the project right now, before it's too late."

"Well, goodness me. Obviously, Mister Cleaver, you are the expert," the mayor replied.

"Then you'll stop it?"

"It seems I have no choice." There was a weird gurgling noise, "Oh do excuse me, civic duty leaves little time for a sandwich."

"But you promise to stop it, today?"

"Well of course. Nothing is more important than the lives of my citizens. What do you take me for, some kind of maniac?"

"Why, no."

"Am I right to think you have shown your results only to me?"

"Just you, nopony else."

"Wise move." Mr. Cleaver turned around for a moment and wiped his brow, unaware that the mayor was unzipping her forehead.

"I can't tell you Ms. Truth; this is such a weight off my mind. I've barely slept; I couldn't believe my own readings." Blue lights flashed in the room behind him. "The scale of it, destruction like Equestria has never seen! If I didn't know better, I'd say somepony was trying to wipe Hoofdon off the map." He smiled and turned back around, "Thank goodness we have you, our esteemed leader." He looked up and screamed, right as a massive three clawed hand sliced his head off.

**Cue the theme song once again!**

Gear stepped off the train and adjusted his jacket; it was rubbing his wings the wrong way. He glanced up at the sign and headed towards Spire Bay, Cardhoof town square. It was around November, but it wasn't snowing in Hoofdon, yet. Six months ago, a spaceship had crashed through the sky into Clockwork's tower, and since then, the city had flourished. The markets were busy as ever and the holidays were just around the corner.

At the center of Spire bay, was the Spire, a large metal spike-like structure in the center of the bay with water running down its sides like a waterfall. At the base of it, was a familiar blue box parked just out of the splash zone of the falling water. Gear trotted up to it and knocked on the door. Another Pegasus answered it.

"Who the hell are you?" he asked.

"What do you mean, who the hell am I? Who the hell are you?" snapped Gear.

"Captain Jack Harness. Whatever your selling, we're not buying."

"Get out of my way!" He walked past the Captain inside the Tardis.

"Don't tell me, this must be Gear," Jack said, shutting the door.

"Here comes trouble!" the Doctor called, "How're you doing Cogs?" The Doctor was up on a platform against the wall, he was wearing a headlamp with a blinking red light doing something with all sorts of wires.

"It's Gear!"

"Don't listen to him," Roseluck said, walking up to her once-boyfriend, "He's just winding you up."

"You look fantastic," Gear complimented, earning a hug.

"Aw, sweet, how come I never get any of that?" asked Jack, returning to work on the Tardis console.

"Buy me a drink first," the Doctor replied.

"You're such hard work."

"But worth it."

"Did you manage to find it?" asked Roseluck. Gear reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small blue passport.

"There you go." She took the tiny booklet, "I can go anywhere now."

"I told you, you don't need a passport," the Doctor said, maybe a tiny bit annoyed.

"It's all amazing going to Platform One, Justica and the Glass Pyramid of San Kaloon, but what if we end up in the Zebrean Islands? I might need it. I am prepared for anything."

"Sounds like you're staying then. So, what're you doing in Cardhoof?" asked Gear, "And who is Jack Rabbit over there? I mean I don't mind you hanging out with Dr. Strange over there,"

"Oi!"

"It's true. But this guy, I don't know, he's kind of…"

"Handsome?" supplied Jack.

"Cheesy," Gear finished.

"Early eleventh century slang, is cheesy good or bad?"

"It's bad," said Gear.

"But bad means good, yeah?"

"Are you saying I'm not handsome?" the Doctor asked, hopping off the upper platform.

"We just stopped off," Roseluck explained, "We need to refuel. The thing is, Cardhoof has this rift running through the middle of the city. It's invisible but it's like an earth quake fault between dimensions."

"The rift was healed back in 769," the Doctor added walking up.

"Thanks to a mare named Chrysanthemum, because these gas creatures called the Gelth they were using the rift as a gateway, but she saved the world and closed it."

"But closing a rift always leaves a scar," Jack added joining the group, :And that scar generates energy. Harmless to Equestria-"

"But perfect for the Tardis," said the Doctor, "so park it here for a couple of days right on top of the scar-"

"Open up the engines, soak up the radiation."

"Like filling her up with petrol and off we go!" cried Roseluck, "Into time!"

"And space!" they finished simultaneously. Gear stared at them.

"Have you seen yourselves?" he asked, "You all think you're so clever, don't you?"

"Yeah."

"Yes."

"Yep!"

* * *

"Should take another twenty four hours, which means we've got time to kill," the Doctor said locking the Tardis doors behind them.

"That old lady's staring," Gear said, pointing behind them.

"Probably wondering what four ponies could do in a small wooden box," Jack said with a smirk. Gear looked at Jack, "What are you captain of, the Innuendo Squad?" Jack stuck out his tongue and started to walk away.

"Wait, the tardis, we can't just leave it. Doesn't it get noticed?"

"Yeah what's with the police box?" asked Jack, "Why does it look like that?"

"It's a cloaking device," Roseluck explained, hugging the Tardis.

"It's called a chameleon circuit," the Doctor elaborated, "The Tardis is meant to disguise herself wherever she lands, like if this was the Crystal Kingdom it would become a mailbox or something. But I landed in the 860s, it disguised itself as a police box and the circuit got stuck."

"So it copied a real thing?" asked Gear, "there really were Police Boxes?"

"Yeah, more or less, on street corners. Phone for help from them, before radios. If they arrested somepony, they could shove them inside until help came, like a little prison cell."

"Why don't you fix the circuit?" asked the Captain.

"I like it, don't you?"

"I love it," Roseluck said, patting the box affectionately.

"But that's what I meant, there aren't Police Boxes anymore, so doesn't it get noticed?" asked gear.

"Cogs, let me tell you something about ponies, you put a mysterious blue box slap bang in the middle of town, what do they do? Walk past it. Now stop your nagging, let's go and explore." And they trotted off.

"What's the plan?"

"I don't know. Cardhoof, early eleventh century and the wind's coming from the, east, trust me, safest place in the universe."

* * *

Only about a block away, the mayor of Cardhoof Tricky Truth, aka the Last of the SLitheen family, was giving her presentation on the new Chaos Power station. Of course, that doesn't sound very good I mean, using energy that destroys for something good? Is it just me or is that a recipe for disaster? The project was called Lobo Mau in island tongue.

"This Chaos Power station right in the heart of Cardhoof city will bring jobs for all," she said proudly, "A Mayor, I've had to make some drastic redevelopments for this project to work-" Somepony's camera flashed, Truth hid her face behind her wings, "No photographs! What did I say! Take pictures of the project by all means but not me." She put her wings down and continued with the presentation.

"Thank you, so Cardhoof Castle will be demolished allowing the Lobo Mau project to rise up, tall and proud. A monument of Equestrian industry. And yes, some of you might shiver. The word Chaos in a major population aren't exactly the happiest of friends. But I give you my personal guarantee, that as long as I trot upon this planet, no harm will come to any of our citezens. Now, a toast, to the future!" The observers broke into applause, "To the future!" they cried.

"And believe me," Tricky Truth finished with a smirk, "It will glow." She was about to leave when another mare walked up to her, she was young and slim, blue mane tied in a bun, orange coat, journalism cutie-mark.

"Excuse me, Ms. Truth?" she asked, "My name's Kristy Salt, I represent the Carhoof Gazette."

"I'm sorry, I'm not doing interviews. I can't bear the self-publicity," she tried to walk away.

"But are you aware of the curse?" Truth turned and looked at the journalist, "Whatever do you mean, Kirsty was it?"

"Kirsty Salt," she corrected, "That's what some of your engineers are saying, that the Lobo Mau project is cursed."

"Sounds rather silly to me."

"That's what I thought," Kirsty admitted, "I was chasing just a bit of local rumor. But the funny thing is, when you start piecing it all together, it does begin to look a bit odd."

"In what way?"

"The deaths, the number of deaths associated with this project. First of all, there was the entire team of safety inspectors."

"But they were Prench! (from Prance aka Pony France) It's not my fault 'Danger Explosives' was written in Equestrian."

"And then there was the accident with the Cardhoof Heritage Committee."

"The electrocution of that lake was put down to a clumsy Pegasus."

"And the architect?"

"It was raining, and visibility was low, I'm sorry that I lost control in the wind and sent him careening down the hill. Into a wall."

"And then just recently, Mister Cleaver, the Princess's Chaos adviser."

"Slipped on an icy patch."

"He was decapitated."

"It was a very icy patch. I'm afraid these stories are nothing more than small talk. I really haven't go time, if you'll excuse me."

"Except, before he died, Mister Cleaver posted some of his findings online."

"Did he now?"

"IF you know where to look. He was concerned about the reactor."

"Oh, all that technical stuff!"

"Specifically, that the design of the suppression pool would cause the energy recombines to fail, precipitating in the collapse in the containment system and result in a meltdown."

"Well, somepony's been doing her homework."

"That's my job." Tricky Truth smiled, "I think, Kristy Salt, I think you and I should have a word in private." She took Kristy's hoof and proceeded to drag her out of the conference room. as they left the room, an odd gurgling sound came from Tricky Truth.

"Oh dear!" she said speeding up, "My poor tum is complaining. I think we might have to make detour to the mare's room."

"I'll wait here," Kirsty said.

"Oh come on, all mares together!" And she pulled Kirsty into the bathroom with her. Truth dashed into one of the stalls, more disgusting noises came from her.

"So you were saying, these outlandish theories of yours?"

"Sounds like we got here just in time," Kirsty noted.

"Continue."

"Well, I don't know much about Chaotic Physics," Kirsty began, nervously shifting from hoof to hoof outside the stall, "but from what I could make out, Cleaver was saying that the whole project could go up." She noticed flashing blue lights under the door of the bathroom.

"Is there something wrong with the lights?"

"Oh they're always on the fritz," Tricky truth replied, "I can't tell you how many memos I've sent. SO, meltdown?"

"Apparently, but a thousand times worse," Kirsty continued, "I know it sounds absurd, there must be so many safety regulations. But Cleaver seemed to be talking about Chaos Holocaust. He almost made it sound deliberate. I mean, we're hardly the Sunday Times, we're only the Cardhoof Gazette, but we have to report this."

"You're going to print this information?" asked Truth, her voice all robotic and scratchy. Kirsty Salt was unaware of it, but behind the wall she was leaning against was an angry eight foot Slitheen.

"Are you alright?" asked Kirsty, "You sound a bit…"

"Sore throat," Slitheen-Truth lied, "Just a tickle. But do tell me, do you intend to make this information public?"

"I have to," Kirsty replied.

"So be it."

"Mind you, my boyfriend thinks I'm mad." Slitheen-Truth stopped, "We're getting married next month, and he says if I cause a fuss, I could lose my job just when we need the money."

"Boyfriend?"

"Falling Star civil servant. He's nothing exciting, but he's mine."

"When's the wedding?"

"The nineteenth," Kirsty replied, "It's really just to get my mother to stop nagging, but the baby sort of cinched it."

"Your… With child?"

"Three months," Kirsty replied with a smile, "Not showing yet. Wasn't planned, it was an accident. Nice accident, though."

"Congratulations."

"Thank you. How about you? You got any kids?"

"No…"

"Is there a mister Truth?"

"Not anymore. I'm all on my own. I had quite a sizeable family, once upon a time. Wonderful brothers. Oh they were bold. But all of them gone now. Maybe you are right, maybe I am cursed."

"No, no, I don't think so. Not really."

"You are very kind," she sighed, "If you don't mind, I may be a while. You run along. Perhaps we could do this another day."

"Are you alright?" asked Kirsty concerned.

"Fine!"

"Okay, I'll tell you what, I'll leave the details In your office. Thanks for talking."

"Thank you," Tricky Truth sighed before Kirsty left the room. The Slitheen closed her eyes, and began to cry.

* * *

"I swear, six feet tall and with big tusks-" Jakc said.

"You're lying through your teeth," The Doctor cried.

"I mean, it turns out those things were tusks and I mean tusks! And it's awake and it's not happy."

"How could you not know it was there?"

"And we're standing there, fifteen of us, with nothing."

"Nothing?" asked Roseluck, stunned.

"And I'm like, oh no no, it's got nothing to do with me. And then it roars, and we are running oh Celestia we are running! The Brakovitch falls, so I turn to him and I say-"

"I knew we should've turned left!" Gear cried, everypony at the table laughed, "That's my line!" Jack cried. The Doctor, looked around the resteraunt, and saw a newspaper that somepony was reading. His cheerful mood vanished.

"I don't believe you," Roseluck joked, "I don't believe a word you say." The Doctor stood up and walked over, snatching the newspaper from a startled stallion.

"So I just picked him up and went right for the ship, full throttle. Didn't stop until I hit the spacelines. I was shaking, it was unbelievable."

"And I was having such a nice day," the Doctor complained, flipping the front of the newspaper around to show his friends. On the cover, was a photograph of Tricky Truth under the headline: New Mayor New Cardhoof. Looks like there was something they needed to do after all.

* * *

Four ponies, specifically two stallions, one mare, and an alien, walked right into the city hall.

"According to intelligence, the target is the last surviving member of the Slitheen family, a criminal sect from the planet Raxicoricofallapatorious, masquerading as a pony zipped inside a skin suit," Captain Jack Harness said checking his wrist device, "Okay, plan of attack. We assume basic 57-56 strategy, covering all available exits on the ground floo. Doctor, you go face-to-face, that'll designate exit one. I'll cover exit two, Roseluck you're on exit three, Gear, you take exit four. Got that?" The Doctor glanced at Jack, "Excuse me, who's in charge?"

"Sorry, awaiting orders sir," Jack said begrudgingly.

"Right here's the plan," he paused, "Like he said, nice plan. Anything else?"

"Present arms," they pulled out their cellphones, (Gear pulled out the one Roseluck had given him that morning as they weren't invented yet).

"Ready."

"Ready."

"Ready."

"Ready, speed dial?"

"Yep."

"Ditto."

"Check." Jack smirked, "See you later." And they dispersed, each walking off to their designated exits, and the Doctor straight to Miss Mayor's office. He trotted right up to the secretary's desk.

"Hello, I've come to see the mayor," he said kindly.

"Have you got an appointment?" asked the secretary.

"No, just an old friend passing by. Bit of a surprise. Can't wait to see her face."

"Well she's just having a cup of tea."

"Just go in there and tell her the Doctor would like to see her," the Doctor said.

"Doctor who?"

"Just the Doctor, tell her exactly that, the Doctor." The secretary nodded, "Hang on a tick." He stood up and walked inside, shutting the door behind him. A moment later, there was a crash as a teacup met its maker on the floor, the Doctor smirked. The secretary came outside once more.

"The mayor says thank you for popping by," he stammered, "She'd l-love to chat but uh, she's up to her eyes in paper work. Perhaps you could make an appointment for next week?"

"She's climbing out the window isn't she?"

"Yes," The Doctor nodded, pushed past the secretary and galloped out to the office balcony. He barely caught a glimpse of Tricky Truth before she climbed out the window. He pulled out the mobile and called the other members of his team, "Slitheen heading North."

* * *

"On my way," Roseluck replied before pocketing the phone and galloping for the exit door, running past a clerk and causing his papers to go flying.

"Over and out," Jack answered before leaping into the air and flying for the exit, causing a startled tea-trolley-handler to duck in cover.

Gear didn't say anything when he got the message, but he too tried to make for the door, but crashed into a cleaning mare and got stuck.

* * *

"Leave the mayor alone!" The Doctor spun around and saw the secretary charging him. _Wham!_ He tackled the Doctor, who fought fiercely to get away after the Slitheen. Tricky Truth was slowly climbing down the scaffolding beside the balcony. She jumped down to the concrete below and pulled off her necklace, she began to gallop off in one direction. But stopped when Roseluck came dashing towards her, Tricky Truth snarled and turned the other way. But Jack came flying down.

Truth turned once again and ran in the last available direction, which Gear was supposed to be guarding.

"Tricky Truth!" the Doctor called, breaking free from the secretary and leaping down the scaffolding. He met up with Roseluck and Jack on the ground and they began to chase her.

"Who's on exit four?!" demanded Jack.

"That was Gear!" Just then, the clumsy green Pegasus came racing out of the building, "I'm here!"

"Gear the idiot," the Doctor groaned, they stopped chasing.

"Oh be fair, she's not exactly going to outrun us is she?" asked Roseluck sarcastically. Suddenly, Tricky Truth vanished in a flash of blue.

"She's got a teleport! That's cheating!" Jack roared, "Now we're never going to catch her!" The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and held it to the sky.

"The Doctor's very good with teleports," Roseluck explained. He activated the silver device and with a quick buzz, Tricky Truth reappeared running towards them. She stopped, utterly surprised and confused, then she turned and ran the opposite direction. She vanished again, and the Doctor activated the sonic again. Tricky Truth reappeared again, this time closer.

Vanish, reappear, vanish, reappear, until she was right in front of them. She stopped running, huffing and puffing.

"I could do this all day," the Doctor said with a cheeky smile.

"This is persecution," Tricky Truth said, still trying to catch her breath, "Why can't you leave me alone? What did I ever do to you?"

"Hmm," the Doctor thought for a moment, "You tried to kill me and destroy this entire planet."

"Apart from that."

* * *

"So you're a Slitheen, you're on Gaia, you're trapped. Your family gets killed but you teleport out just in the nick time. You have no means of escape. So what do you do? You build a chaos power station. But what for?" asked the Doctor as Tricky Truth lead them back to the presentation room where a scale model of the chaos power station was set up.

"A philanthropic gesture. I've learnt the error of my ways," Truth said.

"And it just so happens to be on top of the rift," the Doctor.

"What rift would that be?"

"A rift in time and space," Jack explained, "If this power station went into meltdown, the entire planet would go-" he made a sucking noise then flung his hooves out with an explosion sound.

"This station is designed to explode the minute it reaches capacity," the Doctor added.

"Didn't anypony notice?" asked Roseluck, "Isn't there somepony from Hoofdon checking this stuff?"

"We're in Cardhoof, Hoofdon doesn't care. The city could disappear and nopony would notice." Tricky Truth's eyes widened when she realized what she'd said, "Oh, I sound like a pony. Celestia help me, I've gone native."

"But why would she do that?" asked Gear, "A great big explosion she'd only end up killing herself."

"She's got a name you know," hissed Tricky Truth.

"She's not even a she, she's a thing," he snapped.

"But she's clever," the Doctor said. He walked over to the model, and flipped it upside down. Well, part of it, the rest fell apart and stayed on the table, one part came right off and flipped into the Doctor's hooves. The bottom glittered with colorful lights and wires of all sorts.

"Fantastic," the Time-Pony said, an impressed look in his eye.

"Is that a tribophysical waveform macro-kinetic extrapolater?" asked the 51st century Pegasus, just as excited.

"Couldn't have put it better myself." Jack took the extrapolater and stared at it in shock.

"Oo, genius! You didn't build this?"

"I have my hobbies, a little tinkering," Truth replied.

"No no no, I mean, you really didn't build this," Jack corrected, "Way beyond you."

"I bet she stole it," Gear assumed.

"It fell into my hooves."

"Is it a weapon?" asked Roseluck, also admiring the odd board device.

"It's transport," Jack explained, "You see, if the reactor blows, the rift opens. Phenominal cosmic disaster, but this thing shrouds you in a forcefield. You have this energy bubble, so you're safe. Then you feed it co-ordinates, stand on top, and ride the concussion all the way out of the galaxy."

"It's a surf-board," Gear summed up.

"A pan-dimensional surfboard, yeah."

"And it would've worked," Tricky Truth groaned, "I'd have surfed away from this dump and back to civilization if it hadn't been for you meddling time travelers." (The author, who was waiting forever to add a funny reference chuckled happily)

"You'd blow up a whole planet just to get a lift?" asked Gear, utterly shocked. Clearly, very clearly, he needed a refresher on most aliens' intentions with earth.

"Like stepping on an anthill," Tricky Truth snapped.

"How'd you think of the name?" asked the Doctor suddenly. He was standing up by the podium, staring at the hanging poster with the bold words Lobo Mau on it.

"What, Lobo Mau? It's tropic."

"I know, but how did you think of it?"

"I chose it at random, that's all. I thought it just sounded good. Does it matter?"

"Lobo Mau," the Doctor repeated.

"What's it mean?" asked Roseluck. The Doctor looked back at them, "Bad Wolf."

"But I've heard that before," Roseluck said, "Bad Wolf, I've heard that lots of times."

"Everywhere we go, two words, following us. Bad Wolf."

"How can they be following us?" The Doctor stopped, he thought for a moment, then smiled.

"Nah, just a coincidence. Like hearing a word on the radio then hearing it all day. Never mind, things to do. Tricky Truth, we're going to take you home."

"Hold on, isn't that the easy way, like letting her go?" asked Jack, still admiring the extrapolater.

"I don't believe it! We actually get to go to Raxa- Wait a minute, Raxacor," Roseluck tried.

"Raxicoricofallapatorious," the Doctor said.

"Raxacorico,"

"fallapatorious."

"Raxicoricofallapatorious."

"That's it!" Roseluck hugged the Doctor.

"They have a death penalty," Tricky Truth said suddenly, Roseluck broke away and her cheery mood dropped. "The family Slitheen was tried in its absence many years ago and found guilty with no chance of appeal. According to the statutes of government, the moment I return, I am to be executed. What do you make of that Doctor? Take me home, you take me to my death."

"Not my problem."

* * *

By the time they got back to the Tardis, night had fallen on Equestria.

"This ship is impossible," Tricky Truth said, eyes wide as she explored the blue box, "It's superb. How'd you get the outside around the inside?"

"Like I'd give you the secret," the Doctor said sarcastically, handing Jack another wire.

"I almost feel better about being defeated. I never stood a chance. This is the technology of the gods."

"Don't worship me, I make a very bad god. You wouldn't get a day off for starters," the Doctor turned to Jack, "Jack, how we doin' big fella?" Jack was trying to wire the extrapolater into the Tardis, with varying success.

"This extrapolater's top of the range. Where did you get it?"

"Oh I don't know, some airlock sale?"

"Must've been a great big heist. It's stacked with power."

"But can we use it for fuel?"

"It's not compatible, but it should knock off twelve hours."

"Then we're stuck here overnight."

"I'm in no hurry," the Slitheen sighed.

"We've got a prisoner," Roseluck said, maybe a bit excited, "The police box is actually a police box."

"You're not just police though. Since you're taking me to my death, that makes you my executioners. Each, and, every, one of you."

"Well you deserve it," Gear snapped.

"You're very quick to say so. You're very quick to soak your hooves in my blood, which makes you better than me, how, exactly?" Truth smirked at the uncomfortable looks on the time travelers, "Long night ahead. Let's see who can look me in the eye."

* * *

Roseluck stepped out of the Tardis, wrapping her scarf around once more before joining Gear beside the waterfall spire.

"It's freezing out here!" she complained.

"Better than in there," Gear replied, "She does deserve it. She's a slitheen, I don't care. It's just weird in that box." Roseluck smiled guiltily, "I didn't really need my passport." Gear smiled back.

"I've been thinking, you know, maybe we could go have a bite to eat. Pizza or something, just you and me."

"That'd be nice," Roseluck replied.

"And, I mean, if the Tardis can't leave until morning, we could go to a hotel, spend the night. I mean, if you want to of course. I've got some money."

"Okay, yeah."

"Is that alright?"

"Yeah."

"Cool. There's a couple of cafes around here. We should give them a go." Gear looked back at the Tardis, "Do you have to go tell him?"

"It's none of his business," Roseluck replied, taking Gear's hoof.

* * *

The Doctor watched as his companion and her friend trotted off.

"So, what's on?" asked Jack. The Doctor clicked off the monitor, "Nothing."

"I gather it's not always like this, having to wait," Tricky Truth said suddenly, from her place beside the door, "I bet you're always the first to leave, Doctor. Never mind the consequences, off you go. You butchered my family and then ran for the stars, am I right?"

"I didn't butcher them," the Doctor replied.

"Don't answer back," Jack warned, "That's what she wants."

"I didn't what about you? You had an emergency teleport. You didn't zap them safety, did you?"

"It only carries one, I had to fly without co-ordinates," Truth said solemnly, "I ended up on in a dog cage." There was a snicker from the stallions. "It wasn't funny." Another snicker.

"Sorry, it is a bit funny," the Doctor replied through a laugh.

"Do I get a last request?" asked Tricky Truth a moment later.

"Depends on what it is," the Doctor replied.

"I grew quite fond of my little pony life. All those rituals, the brushing of the teeth, and the complicated way they cook things. There's a little restaurant just round the bay, it became quite a favorite of mine."

"Is that what you want, a last meal?" asked the Doctor.

"Don't I have rights?" asked Tricky Truth.

"Oh like she's not going to try to escape," Jack snapped.

"Except I can never escape the Doctor, so where's the danger? I wonder if you could do it? To sit with a creature you're about to kill and take supper. How strong is your stomach?"

"Strong enough."

"I wonder, I've seen you fight your enemies, now you dine with them."

"You won't change my mind."

"Prove it."

"There are ponies out there, if you slip away for just one second, they'll be in danger."

"Except, I've got these," said Jack, holding up a pair of silver wristbands, "You both wear one. If she moves more than ten feet away, she gets zapped by ten thousand volts." The Doctor turned to Tricky Truth with a cheeky smile, "Tricky, would you like to come out to dinner? My treat." She smirked, "Dinner in bondage, works for me."

That meant there were two strange couples parading around Cardhoof that night. A Pegasus and earth pony, and a Time-Pony and Slitheen. Jack however was left behind to work on the Tardis, but that didn't bring him down in the slightest. All three groups were having a merry time despite the dismal circumstances. Down on one of the jetties was the little restaurant Tricky Truth had talked about. And seated by the window was the Slitheen herself and her Time-Pony date.

"Here we are, out on a date, and you haven't even asked my proper name," she said holding the menu in her hooves.

"It's not a date," the Doctor replied, looking over the menu himself, "What's your name?"

"Blon. I am Blon Fel Fotch Passameer-Day Slitheen," she explained, "That's what it'll say on my death certificate."

"Nice to meet you Blon," the Doctor greeted.

"I'm sure," Blon replied sarcastically. She looked out the window, "Look, that's where I was living as Tricky Truth. Nice little flat, over there, on the top. Next to the one with the light on." As the Doctor looked out at the flat, she pulled a vial out of her vest pocket and poured the contents into the Doctor's water glass. "Two bedrooms, bayside view. I was rather content; don't suppose I'll see it again." The Doctor glanced back at her, then "accidentally" elbowed his glass, spilling it on the floor.

"Suppose not." Truth was silent for a moment, "Tell me then Doctor, what do you know of my species?"

"Only what I've seen."

"Did you know, for example, in extreme cases, when her life is in danger, a female Raxicoricofallapatorian can manufacture a poison dart within her own hoof?" She raised her hoof and a small needle like thing shot out of it towards the Doctor's head. He moved his head an inch to the right, dodging the dart.

"Yes I did," he replied.

"Just checking," Tricky Truth replied, "And one more thing, between you and me." She looked around, as if to check if somepony was watching. They leaned forward so he could her when she whispered.

"As a final result, the excess poison can be exhaled through the lungs," but before she could exhale the poison, the Doctor sprayed a small bit of breath freshener in her mouth.

"That's better," the Doctor replied sitting back, "Now then, what do you think? Salad sounds good, salad and chips."

* * *

"The Doctor took me to this planet a while back. It was much colder than this. It was called Melancholy Mare, it was actually called that. Because, if you looked at it from above, there was one large continent and it looked like a mare crying," Roseluck explained, "And we went to this beach, no ponies, no buildings, just this beach going on forever and ever. And something had happened, something to do with the sun, I'm not sure, but the sea had just frozen. In a split second, in the middle of a storm, right, waves and foam, just frozen, all the way out to the horizon. At midnight we all walk underneath these waves a hundred feet tall, made of ice."

Gear had been listening patiently, as they walked all about Cardhoof. Then suddenly, he spoke up, "I'm going out with Crystal." Roseluck glanced at Gear, "Right, that's nice. Crystal from the shop?"

"Yeah, Quartz's sister."

"Well, she's nice. She's a bit big."

"She lost weight, you've been away."

"Well, good for you. She's nice."

"So, tell us more about this planet then."

"That was it, really."

* * *

"Public execution's a slow death," Blon explained grimly, "They prepare a thin acetic acid, lower me into the cauldron, and boil me. The acidity is perfectly gauged to strip away the skin. Internal organs fall out into the liquid, and I become soup. And still alive, still screaming."

"I don't make the law," the Doctor replied.

"But you deliver it. Will you stay and watch?"

"What else can I do?"

"The Slitheen family's huge, there's a lot more of us, scattered off-world. Take me to them, take me somewhere safe."

"But then you'll start again."

"I promise, I won't."

"You've been in that skin suit too long," the Doctor said, "You've forgotten. There used to be a real Tricky Truth, you killed her and stripped her and used the skin. You're pleading for mercy out of a dead mare's lips."

"Perhaps I have got used to it. A pony life, and ordinary life. That's all I'm asking, give me a chance Doctor. I can change." The Doctor glared at her, "I don't believe you."

* * *

"So, what do you want to do now?" asked Gear, sitting on a bench next to Roseluck

"Don't mind," Roseluck replied.

"We could ask about hotels."

"What would Crystal say?"

"Suppose, there's a bar round the corner we could try."

"You don't even like Crystal!" cried Roseluck, angrily.

"Oh is that right? What the hell do you know?" snapped Gear

"I know you, and I know her. And I know that's never going to happen. So who do you think you're kidding?" she asked.

"At least I know where she is!" Roseluck stopped, "There we are then. It's got nothing to do with Crystal, this is all about me, isn't it?"

"You left me!" yelled Gear, "We were nice, we were happy, and then what? You give me a kiss and you run off with him! You make me feel like nothing Roseluck! I can't even go out with another mare from the shop because you pick up the phone and I come running! Is that what I am Roseluck, standby? Am I supposed to sit here and wait for the rest of my life? Waiting for you? Because I will." There was a moment of silence before Roseluck replied, "I'm sorry."

* * *

"I promise that I've changed since we last met," Blon Fel Fotch insisted, "there was a girl just today. A young thing, something of a danger, she was getting too close to my plan. I felt the blood lust rising, just as my family had taught me. I was going to kill her without a thought, but then I stopped. She's alive right now, trotting around outside in the city somewhere. I have changed, I know I can't prove it but-"

"I believe you." The Doctor replied cutting her off.

"The you know I am capable of better."

"It doesn't mean anything," the Doctor said, crossing his hooves.

"I spared her life."

"You let one of them go, that's nothing new," the Doctor explained seriously, "Every now and then, a victim's spared, because she smiled, because he's got freckles, because they begged. And that's how you slaughter millions, that's how you live with yourself. Because, once in a while, on a whim, if the wind is right, you happen to be kind."

"Only a killer would know that," Tricky Truth added, "Isn't that right? From what I've seen, your happy go lucky life leaves devastation in its wake. Always moving forward because you dare not go back. Playing with so many lives, you might as well be a god. And you're right, Doctor, you're absolutely right. Sometimes, you let one go. So, let _me_ go."

* * *

"I'm not asking you to leave him, because I know that's not fair," Gear rambled. But Roseluck wasn't listening, she already knew what he was saying, but something else caught her ear. A deep rumble like the growl of some ancient beast.

"Is that thunder?" she asked, ears perking up.

"Does it matter?" asked Gear. There was another rumble, this time the ground shook ever so slightly.

"That's not thunder."

* * *

"In the family Slitheen, we had no choice," 'Truth' said, "I was made to make my first kill at thirteen." The Doctor's ear suddenly twitched, he heard something, the same deep rumble. "If I'd refused, my father would've fed me to the venom grubs." There it was again, slightly louder, and he could feel it too. "If I'm a killer, it's because I was born a killer. It's all I know. Doctor are you even listening?"

"Can you hear that?" asked the Doctor.

"I'm begging for my life!"

"No, listen and shush." The drink glasses began to vibrate as the noise became louder and louder, then suddenly _CRASH!_ The large bayside windows shattered raining glass bits on every pony.

* * *

The lamps burst and ponies began to panic. Roseluck turned and she ran for the Tardis, something was wrong.

"Oh go on then, run!" Gear cried after her, "It's him again isn't it? It's the Doctor! It's always the Doctor! It'll always be that blasted alien and never me!"

* * *

As soon as the glass broke, the Doctor was out of that restaurant like shot. He almost forgot about the hoof-cuffs that would ultra-shock Blon if he ran to far ahead. As he soniced the cuffs off he said: "Don't think of running off."

"Oh I'm sticking with you," she said as they galloped out of there, "Some date this turned out to be." They ran back to spire bay, and saw the problem. A massive beam of pure blue energy was shooting out of the Tardis into the sky; the clouds were swirling rapidly around the beam as if it were a vortex.

"It's the rift!" the Doctor cried, "The rift's opening!" They ran for the Tardis, the plaza was beginning to crack apart beneath their hooves, falling apart as the rift tore open.

"What the hell are you doing?" roared the Doctor as he and Blon burst into the Tardis. Jack was rushing all about trying to steady things and close the rift, the extrapolater was flashing wildly and sparks were flying off the console.

"It just went crazy!" Jack replied.

"It's the rift, time and space are ripping apart!" the Doctor cried rushing to aid his friend, "The whole city's going to disappear!"

"It's the extrapolater! I've disconnected it but it's still feeding off the engine using the Tardi! I can't stop it!"

"Never mind Cardhoof, it's going to rip open the planet!" Roseluck tore through the Tardis doors, "What is it?" she asked, "What's going on?"

"Oh, just little me." Suddenly, a three clawed hand was wrapped around the mare's throat holding her in the air.

"One wrong move and she snaps like a promise!" the Slitheen cried. The Doctor and Jack stopped.

"I should've known," said the Doctor.

"I've had you bleating all night, poor baby," she taunted, "Now shut it. You, fly boy, put the extrapolater at my hooves." Jack stayed where he was, until Blon tightened her grip on Roseluck's neck, causing her to gasp for air. He picked up the surfboard and set it down in front of the criminal.

"Thank you, just as I planned," she said, smirking.

"I thought you needed to blow up the power station," said Roseluck, Blon tightened her grip and glared at her, "Failing that, if I were to be arrested, anypony capable of tracking me down must have considerable technology of their own. Therefore, they would be captivated by the extrapolater, Especially a magpie mind like yours Doctor. So the extrapolater was programmed to go to plan B, to lock onto the nearest alien power source and open the rift. And what a power source it found. I'm back on schedule, thanks to you."

"The rift's going to convulse!" Jack cried, "You'll destroy the whole planet!"

"And you with it!" the Slitheen stepped aboard her pan-dimensional surf-board, "While I ride the crest of the inferno all the way to freedom. Stand back boys, surf's up!" A bright light suddenly filled the Tardis, part of the control panel had cracked open allowing bright golden light to flood out.

"Of course, opening the rift means you'll pull this ship apart," the Doctor explained calmly.

"SO sue me," 'Tricky Truth' hissed.

"It's not just any old power ship," the Doctor continued, "it's the Tardis, MyTardis, the best ship in the universe."

"It'll make wonderful scrap," she spat.

"What's that light?" choked Roseluck.

"The heart of the Tardis," the Time-Pony explained, "This ship's alive, and you've opened its soul." She looked at the light, her eyes grew wide, "It's so bright," she sighed.

"Look at it," the Doctor ordered.

"Beautiful," Blon whispered.

"Look inside Blon Fel Fotch. Look at the light." The Slitheen relaxed, releasing her grip on Roseluck who ran over to the Doctor's side. Blon Fel Fotch looked up at the Doctor, wearing a gentle smile.

"Thank, you," she whispered. The light grew to a blinding verocity.

"Don't look, stay here and close your eyes!" the Doctor ordered, shielding his eyes from the light. The others did the same. The console healed dimming the light, and revealing an empty body suit.

"Now, Jack, come on, shut it all down!" ordered the Doctor, "Roseluck, that panel over there, turn all the switches to the right." They shut off the Tardis and the blue beam of energy and resealing the rift.

"Nicely done, thank you for your help," the Doctor said.

"What happened to Tricky Truth?" asked Roseluck.

"Must've got burnt up," Jack explained, "Carried out her own death sentence."

"No, I don't think she's dead," the Doctor said, kneeling down and checking out the empty suit.

"Then where'd she go?" asked Roseluck kneeling down as well.

"She looked into the heart of the Tardis, even I don't know how strong that is," the Doctor explained, "And the ship's telepathic like I told you Roseluck. Gets inside your head. Translates alien languages, maybe the raw energy can translate all sorts of thoughts." He reached into the skin suit and pulled out a small brown egg with odd tentacles sticking out of the top.

"Here she is."

"She's an egg?" asked Roseluck, staring at the egg.

"Regressed to her childhood."

"She's an egg?" asked Jack.

"She can start again. Live her life from scratch. If we take her home, give her to a different family, tell them to bring her up properly, she might be alright!"

"Or she might be worse," Jack noted.

"That's her choice," the Doctor said.

"She's an egg," repeated Roseluck.

"She's an egg," the Doctor said with a cheeky smile.

"Oh my gosh, Gear!" Roseluck jumped off and ran out of the Tardis, across the square, and into Cardhoof. But, she couldn't find Gear at all, he'd vanished. She searched hard for him, finding nothing. Roseluck returned to the Tardis empty-hoofed and disheartened. When she returned, the Tardis was all back to normal.

"We're all powered up," chirped the Doctor, "We can leave. Opening the rift filled us up with energy. We can go, is that's alright."

"Yeah, fine," Roseluck sighed.

"How's Gear?" asked the Time-Pony.

"He's okay, he's gone."

"Do you want to go an find him? We'll wait."

"No need. He deserves better."

"Off we go then," the Doctor said, "Always moving on."

"Next stop, Raxacoricofallapitorious," Jack said happily, "Now you don't often get to say that."

"We'll just stop by and pop her in the hatchery, Tricky Truth the Slitheen can live her life again. A second chance," the Doctor explained, setting the brown egg on the console next to the column.

"That'd be nice," Roseluck sighed. The Tardis engines started up, revving and whooshing until it vanished from sight, leaving Cardhoof for Raxacoricofallapitorious.

_To be continued in "Bad Wolf"…_

**Me: We all know what comes next. We finally find out what Bad Wolf has to do with anything, and everything. Doctor, Roseluck, Jack, you guys ready?**

**Doctor: Ah yes!**

**Roseluck: Umm, what? No not really.**

**Jack: Okay, maybe. I've got one thing to say, come and get us! Okay, now I'm good.  
**

**Me: Ah-ha, well then, see you all this Sunday when we head to the Game-station for Bad Wolf.**


	13. Episode 12, Bad Wolf

Doctor Wooves

_Bad Wolf_

**It's time. Don't ask what for, because you and I both know. It's the start of something, something big. Bigger than any Dalek, Slitheen, anything. It's the Bad Wolf.**

**And its here.**

100 years after the adventure we fans have dubbed: The Long Game, Satellite Five still hangs above Gaia, still broadcasting proudly across the Equestrian Empire. Inside Satellite Five, there was this thing called a Big Brother house, and guess who happened to fall out of the closet when one of the house's inmates was looking for her coat?

The Doctor, last of the Time-Ponies, but why was he in a cupboard on a satellite and not in the Tardis, truth was, he didn't know either. He burst out of the closet, startling an earth mare and collapsing to the ground, dizzy as heck.

"Oh my gosh!" she cried, "Why'd they put you int there? They never said you were coming. Whoa, careful now."

"Where am I? I was, uh," the mare helped him up onto his hooves, he was still shaky and unsteady. He collapsed again, "Whoa there, you alright? That's the transmat, it scrambles your head, I was sick for days." She helped him up again, "So, what's your name then sweetheart?"

"The Doctor, I think," he replied, leaning heavily on her for support, "I was, uh, I don't know, what happened? How,"

"You got chosen," the mare replied.

"Chosen for what?" he asked.

"You're a housemate. You're in the house, isn't that brilliant?!" There were two others in that house, a Pegasus stallion and unicorn mare, both standing over by a telly with a strange stylish eye on it. They were not amused.

"That's not fair!" cried the stallion, "We've got eviction in five minutes! I've been here all nine weeks, I've followed all the rules, now here comes this guy."

"If they keep changing the rules, I'm going to protest, I am," the unicorn said, "You watch me, I'm going to paint the walls." The Doctor looked around him at the house, there was weird hoof-shaped furniture, cameras almost everywhere, a full kitchen, multiple TVs, and no doors.

_"Would the Doctor please come to the diary room?"_ asked the computer, a door slid out of the wall. The Doctor glanced at the mare who'd helped him, she nodded. He walked over, opened the door, and went inside. There was a large plush beanbag in the center of the room, he sat down on it.

"_You are live on channel 44,000, please do not swear._" He looked at the camera, "You have got to be kidding."

**Theme song activate!**

Roseluck peeled open her eyes, she was stiff and confused, her pink mane looked like a rats nest, and she was lying on the concrete floor of a game room.

"What happened?" she asked, propping herself on one hoof. A stallion was crouching down next to her, "It's alright, that's the transmat, does your 'ead in. Bit of amnesia. What's your name?"

"Roseluck," she replied, "Where's the Doctor?"

"Just remember, do what the android says. Don't provoke it. The android's word is law." Roseluck sat up, "What do you mean android? Like, robot?"

"Positions everypony! Thank you!" called a mare wearing a large set of headphones.

"Come on," urged the stallion, "Hurry up, steady, steady." He helped Roseluck onto her hooves, she was wobbling and teetering, clearly dizzy.

"I was travelling," she explained, "With the Doctor and a Pegasus named Captain Jack. The Doctor wouldn't just leave me."

"That's enough chat, Positions! Final call! Good luck!" called the headphone mare.

"But I'm not supposed to be here," protested Roseluck.

"It says Roseluck on the podium," the stallion said pointing, sure enough when they lit up, Roseluck was written in digital clockwork letters. Roseluck followed the stallion up and climbed onto her podium.

"Hold on, I must be going mad," she said, finally spotting the android, "It can't be, this looks like-"

"Android, activated!"

"Oh my gosh, the android, the Anne Droid," Roseluck said in shock.

"Welcome to, the Weakest Link!" the Anne Droid called.

* * *

"Here we go again. We've got our work cut out for us."

'I don't know, he's sort of handsome. Such a nice color scheme."

"Those colors are so last year." Captain Jack opened his eyes, and was face-to-face-to-face with a pair of robots. Both modeled after mares, but one was tall and thin while the other was short and, well, plump. He was lying on an examination couch with a large mirror behind it.

"Sorry, but, nice to meet you ladies, but where exactly am I?" he asked.

"We're giving you a whole new image," the tall one, Trine-E explained, gesturing with a hoof to large rack of clothing and shelves of accessories.

"Oh, hold on, I was with the Doctor. Why, is there something wrong with what I'm wearing?"

"It's all very eleventh century, where did you get that denim vest?" asked the other, Zu-Zana.

"A little place in Cardhoof, it was called the Top Shop," Jack explained awkwardly.

"Ah! Design, classic," Zu complimented, rolling over to a weird laser looking device.

"But we're going to have to find you some new colors," Trine said, rolling over as well, "Get rid of that whole, country town colt thing you've got going on." Jack climbed off the couch.

"Just stand still and let the Defrabricator work its magic."

"What's a defabricator?" asked Jack. It was the laser they were standing by, they fired it at Jack, disintegrating his vest and hat.

"Hey! I happened to like that vest!" Jack cried angrily, then he noticed the camera above the laser, "Am I on TV?"

"Absolutely!" the robots cheered.

"Ladies, let's get to work."

(Meh, this part doesn't work ponified.)

* * *

The sonic screwdriver whirred like mad as the Doctor scanned all over the Big Brother house.

"I can't open it," he said, sonic screwdriver in his teeth.

"It's got a deadlock seal," the mare, Lynda, explained, "ever since Big Brother five hundred and four when they all walked out. You must remember that." He walked over to a window and scanned that as well, "What about this?"

"Oh that's exoglass, need a chaos cloud to get through there," Lynda explained.

"Don't tempt me." Lynda looked around, then she whispered: "I know you're not supposed to talk about the outside world, they must be watching, do ponies like me? Lynda, Lynda with a Y not Linda with an I. She got forcibly evicted because she broke a camera. Am I popular?"

"I don't remember," the Doctor replied, busy scanning.

"Oh, but does that mean I'm nothing? Some ponies get this far just because they're insignificant. Doesn't anypony notice me?"

"No, you're, you're nice," the Doctor replied, "You're sweet. Everypony thinks your sweet."

"Oh, is that right? Is that what I am? Oh, nopony's ever told me that before. Am I sweet? Really?"

"Yeah, dead sweet."

"Thank you." The Doctor walked over to a pair of large black windows, red bars crisscrossed them.

"It's a wall," he said after scanning, "isn't there supposed to be a garden or something?"

"Don't be daft," Lynda scoffed, "Nopony's got a garden anymore." She gasped, "Don't tell me you've got a garden."

"No, I've just got the Tardis," he stopped, "I remember."

"That's the amnesia! So what happened? Where'd they get you?" asked Lynda.

"We'd just left Raxacoricofallapitorius," he explained, "Then we went to Kyoto, the Crystal Planet, and we just barely escaped. We were together, having a great time, and then there was this light. This white light coming through the walls, and then, and then I woke up here."

"Yeah, that's the transmat beam," Lynda explained, "that's how they pick the housemates." The Doctor looked over at one of the mirrors, "Oh Lynda with a Y, sweet little Lynda. It's worse than that." He strode over, and stood right in front of the mirror. "I'm not just a passing traveler; no stupid little transmat gets inside my ship. That beam was fifty million times more powerful, which means this isn't just a game. There's something else going on." He looked directly into the eye printed on the mirror; of course it was a camera.

"Well, here's the latest update from the Big Brother house. I'm getting out. I'm going to find my friends, and then I'm gonna find you."

* * *

Sky dropped his headphones in surprise; this new housemate was a wild card. He stood up, and walked over to one of his associates.

"I need a word," he asked.

"Hold on," she replied, hooves on the little grooves made for accessing computers, "Let me finish." She began couting down, "Nineteen, eighteen-

* * *

"Seventeen, sixteen, fifteen," called the floor manager in the Weakest Link, "Thank you ponies, transmitting in twelve, eleven, ten-" Roseluck glanced around room, "But I need to find the doc-"

"Just shut up and play the game," warned the stallion who'd helped her, shoving her away from him onto her podium.

"Alright then, what the hell. I'm going to play to win!"

"Three and cue!"

"_Let's play, the Weakest Link_," the Anne Droid said, "_Start the clock_." It turned to the first player on her left, "_Agorax, the name of which basic food stuff is an anagram of the word beard?_"

"Bread," the stallion Agaorax replied.

"_Correct,_" she turned to the next, "_Fitch, in the Pan Traffic Calendar, which month comes after Who?" _(Doctor of course!)

"Is it, Clavadoe?" asked the mare, Fitch.

"_No, Pandoff_." It turned to Roseluck, "_Roseluck, in maths, what is 258 minus 158_?"

"100!" she cried.

"_Correct, Thunder_-"

"Bank," the stallion interrupted.

"_Which letter of the_ _alphabet appears in the word dangle but not in the word gland?"_

"E," he said nonchalantly.

"_Correct. Colleen, in social security, what DD is the name of the payment given to Martian Drones?"_

"Default."

_"Correct. Broff, the Great Cobalt Pyramid is built on the remains of what old Equestria institute?"_

"Uh, Touchdown."

"_No, Torchwood. Agorax, in language, all five examples of which type of letter appear in the word facetious?" _(Wait, TORCHWOOD? WHAT?!)

"Vowels."

"_Correct. Fitch, in biology, which blood cells contain iron? Red or white?"_

"White."

"_No, red. Roseluck, in the holovid series 'Juptier Rising', the Grexnik is married to whom?"_

"How should I know?" Roseluck replied, chuckling. Then she started laughing.

_"No, the correct answer is Lord Drayvole."_

* * *

"Why's she laughing?"

"Oh my gosh, I don't think she knows."

"And I've got a housemate who appeared out of nowhere. I told you, it's like the game's running itself."

* * *

Jack posed again, the fancy button up shirt making him look like some kind of space pirate.

"It's the buccaneer look," Trine-E explained, "Little dash of pirate and just a tweak of tough guy."

"Hmm, not sure about the vest," Jack murmered, unable to fir his wings through the teeny tiny slots, "What about a little color to lift it?"

"Absolutely not," the other robot said sternly, "Never wear black with color. It makes the color look cheap and the black look boring. Let's talk jackets."

"I kind of liked the first one."

"No, that's too controlled. The shorter one's much better, nice waist length and very slimming."

"Works for me," Jack said testing the wing-slots and comfortabilty.

"Once we've got an outfit, we can look at the face, ever thought about cosmetic surgery?" asked Zu-Zana.

"I've considered it yeah," Jack replied, "A little lift around the eyes, tighten up the jaw line," he smiled flirtatiously at Zu, "What do you think?"

"Oh let's have a bit of fun, something cutting edge," said Trine, removing one of her front hooves, revealing a foot long chainsaw.

* * *

Each pony playing held up their blue sign, on it was written a name in white-board marker. Roseluck had written Fitch in large block letters.

"_So, Roseluck, what do you actually do?_" asked the android.

"I just travel about a bit, a tourist I guess," she replied casually.

"_Another way of saying you're unemployed."_

"No, and for the record-"

"_Have you got a job?_"

"Well, not really, no, but-"

_ "You are unemployed, yet you still have the bits to buy peroxide. Why Fitch?_"

"Uh, I think she got a few of the questions wrong, that's all."

_ "Oh, you'd know all about that._"

"Well, yeah, but I can't vote for myself, so it had to be Fitch." She looked over at the very mare, who was crying, "I'm sorry, that's the game, that's how it works. I had to vote for somepony."

"Let me try again!" begged Fitch, "It was the lights and-and I couldn't think."

"_In fact, with three answers wrong, Broff was the weakest link in that round, but it's the votes that count."_ Broff had actually voted for Roseluck that round.

"I'm sorry! Please!" Fitch begged, "Oh Celestia help me!"

"_Fitch, you are the Weakest Link, goodbye!"_ the android's mouth opened, and a bright beam of yellow lightning energy that flew out and struck Fitch. She exploded in a puff of dust, and smoke, and she was gone.

"And we've gone to the adverts!" called the floor manager, "back in three minutes!"

"What's that?" asked Roseluck, terrified, "What just happened?"

"She was the weakest link, she gets disintegrated," Thunder replied, Roseluck stared at him in shock. "Blasted into atoms?"

"But I voted for her," Roseluck stammered, "Oh, this is sick. All of you, you're just sick! I'm not playing." She set down the marker and prepared to walk off.

"I'm not playing!" another player cried suddenly, "I can't do it, I'm not, please somepony let me out of here!" then he ran for the door, the Anne Droid turned and watched him.

"_You are the weakest link,_" she said, laser aimed, "_Goodbye._" And just as the player reached the door, a yellow beam of energy shot out and disintegrated him. Roseluck cringed.

"Don't try to escape. It's play or die."

* * *

"Doctor , they said all the housemates must gather on the sofa. You've got to!"

"I'm busy getting out thanks," the Doctor replied, sonic-ing a window.

"But if you don't, then all the housemates get punished." He sighed and pocketed the screwdriver, before trotting over and sitting down on the large purple couch.

"Well maybe I'll be voted out then."

"How stupid are you? You've only just joined, you're not eligible."

"Don't try anything clever or we all get it in the neck."

"_Big Brother house! This is Davina Droid,_" the computer called, "Crosbie, Lynda, and Strood, you've all been nominated for eviction. And the eight pony to leave the Big Brother house is…" it paused, for a long while before announcing "Crosbie!" The unicorn's cheeks paled as her name was announced. Lynda and Strood tried to comfort her, the Doctor merely leaned back on the couch, bored.

"_Crosbie, you have ten seconds to make your farewell and then we're going to get you!"_ the computer cried. The housemates al clambered off the couch and ran over to the white door.

"I won't forget you," Lynda said hugging her friend.

"Thanks for the food, you're a smashing cook," said Strood also hugging her.

"_Crosbie, please leave the Big Brother house!_" She looked at her friends, terrified and depressed, "Bye then, bye Lynda." The white door in front of them slid open. Lynda and Strood put there hooves together and raised them, creating a sort of arch, Crosbie walked through into the little white hallway, the white door slid shut. Lynda hugged Strood, "I don't believe it, why Crosbie?"

"It's only a game show," the Doctor said, "She'll make a fortune on the outside. Sell her story, release a record, fitness video, all of that. She'll be laughing."

"What do you mean, on the outside?" asked Lynda. Suddenly, the TV screen lit up bright with a picture of Crosbie, standing in the small white hall. The two housemates ran over and sat back down on the sofa..

"What are they waiting for?" asked the Doctor, "Why don't they just let her go?"

"Quit joking around," said Lynda. The Davina Droid began counting down, "_Eviction in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one." _A yellow disintegrator beam shot out of the ceiling and blasted Crosbie into atoms. The Doctor sat forward, staring with wide eyes at the television.

"What was that?" he demanded.

"Disintegrator beam. She got evicted," Lynda explained, "From life."

* * *

"Nopony programmed the transmat, no pony selected the new contestants. It is exactly like those stories."

"Oh don't start that again. I think you need to take a session off."

"Well I would, If you'd take it with me."

"Don't start the either."

"But the rumors go back decades, saying that something's been hidden up here. Underneath the transmissions."

"But the controller would know. She watches everything."

"Maybe she just can't see it. You've got to allow for natural error."

"Well that's your problem, *whispering* I don't think she's been 'natural' for years."

The Controller, an alicorn actually, strung up with wires attached to her hooves, all down her back, around her horn, and in her almost nonexistent mane. Her eyes were pale blue, blinded. She kept whispering numbers and orders from all the channels. She was the transmitter, she was the Controller.

* * *

"Are you insane? You just step right into the disintegrator? Is it that important getting your face on the telly? Is it worth dying for?" demanded the Doctor, raving mad. But he had it the wrong way round.

"You're talking like we've got a choice!" Lynda cried.

"But, I thought you had to apply," said the Doctor.

"Don't be stupid," Strood said, "that's how they played it centuries back."

"You get chosen whether you like it or not," Lynda explained, "Everypony on Gaia is a potential contestant. The transmat picks you out at random, and it's non-stop. There are sixty Big Brother houses all running at once."

"How many, sixty?"

"They've had to cut back, it's not what it was."

"It's a slaughter house!" the Doctor cried, pacing, "What about the winners? What do they get?"

"They get to live," replied Lynda.

"Is that it?"

"Isn't that enough?" the Doctor looked over at the door to death, "Roseluck is out there, she got caught in the transmat. She's a contestant. Time I got out of here. That other contestant, Linda with an I, she was forcibly evicted for what?"

"Damaged property."

"What? You mean like this?" He raised the sonic and blasted three cameras into oblivion.

* * *

Now Jack was modeling sportswear. Tennis clothes to be precise.

"No, I'm just not getting this," he said, "Too safe, too decent, and you'd never keep it clean."

"Stage two ready and waiting," the robots announced. Jack stepped in front of the defabricator.

"Bring it on girls!" the sportswear was disintegrated.

"And now it's time for the face-off," Zu-Zanna announced.

"What does that mean? DO I get to compete with somepony?" asked Jack, throughing a few air-punches.

"No, like I said. face, off." She held up one hoof, or, chainsaw, "I think you'd look good with a dog's head."

"Or maybe no head at all," Trine suggested holding up a scissor-for-hoof, "That would be so outrageous."

"And we could stitch your legs onto your back and your wing on your ears."

"Nothing is to extreme. It's to die for." Jack stayed where he was, unperturbed by the massive killing utensils.

"Now hold on, I don't want to have to shoot either one of you," he warned.

"But you're unarmed!"

"Really?" He pulled out a teeny tiny blasted from somewhere behind him.

"But, that's a Compact Laser Delux!" exclaimed Zu.

"Where were you hiding that?" demanded Trine.

"You really don't want to know," he replied, before blowing both of their tin heads into smithereens.

* * *

_"You are the weakest link, goodbye!_" _ZAP!_ There were three contestants left, Roseluck, Agorax, and Thunder. It was a commercial break, but there still was no chance of escape.

"Colleen was clever, she banked all out bits, Why'd you vote for her?" asked Roseluck, cleaning her screen.

"Because I want to keep you in," Thunder replied, "You're stupid! You don't even know who Princess Aurora is. When it comes to the final, I want to be up against you, so that you get disintegrated, and I get a stack load of credits courtesy of the Bad Wolf corporation." Roseluck's eyes widened in surprise, Bad, Wolf? Did he just say, Bad Wolf?

"What do you mean, Bad Wolf?" she asked, eyes wide with curiosity and fear.

"They're in charge, they run the Game Station."

"Why are they called Bad Wolf?"

"I don't know, it's just a name. Old Equestrian story sort of thing, what does it matter?"

"I keep hearing those words, everywhere we go. Bad Wolf." She remembered Chrysanthemum, the mare she met when Ghost hunting with Risky Rhyme.

"_The things you've seen,_" she'd said, "_The darkness, the big bad wolf."_ Roseluck remembered hearing an announcement when she and the Doctor were being dragged to meet Van Statten in the alien museum.

"_Attention all personnel, Bad Wolf One descending._" She remembered "Tricky Truth's" name for the chaos station project, Lobo Mau, Bad Wolf, painted on the side of the Tardis when the Slitheen first attacked, a channel on earlier Satellite Five called Bad Wolf TV, it was everywhere.

"Different times," she muttered, "different places, like it's written all over the Universe."

"What're you twittering on about?"

"If the Bad Wolf is in charge of this quiz, then maybe I'm not here by mistake," Roseluck said, "Somepony's been planning this."

* * *

"_The Doctor, you've broken house rules. Big Brother has no choice but to evict you. You have ten seconds to make your farewells and the we're going to get you!"_ The Doctor jumped up from his seat on the couch, smiling like an idiot.

"That's more like it!" he called, galloping over the couch across the room to the eviction hall, "Come on then! Open up!"

"You're mad!" exclaimed Lynda, "It's like you want to die!"

"I reckon he's a plant!" Strood said, "He was only brought in to stir things up."

"_The Doctor, please leave the Big Brother house._" The door slid open and the Doctor ran in,hooves clattering on the metal ground. It slid shut behind him.

"Come on then, disintegrate me! Come on, what're you waiting for?" Lynda looked over at her fellow housemate, "He's mad, absolutely bonkers."

* * *

"_Come on already! Blast me into atoms!"_ Sky and his associate watched the Doctor, while simultaneously trying to stop the laser.

"I told you to keep an eye on him, not kill him."

"He damaged the property, it's an automatic procedure."

* * *

The Davina Droid began counting down, _"Eviction in five, four, three, two, one-"_ but instead of laser fire was the sound of the machine powering down.

"Ah ha! I knew it!" the Doctor cried, "You see, if somepony brought me here to kill me they could've transmatted me into a volcano or star!" He turned to the opposite wall and pulled out the sonic, "Maybe security isn't as tight this end. Are you following all this? I'm getting out!" He buzzed the sonic and the exit door slid open. SO did the entrance. He turned back, Lynda was standing in the open doorway.

"Come with me," he said, holding out his hoof.

"We're not allowed!" cried the other housemate.

"Stay in there, you've got a fifty-fifty chance of disintegration," the Doctor told her, "Stay with me, I promise I'll get you out alive. Come on!"

"No, I can't. I can't," Lynda said.

"Lynda, you're sweet. From what I've seen of your world, do you think anypony votes for sweet?" Lynda glanced back at her friend, then grabbed the Doctor's hoof and they escaped the Big Brother house.

"Hold on, I've been here before. This is Satellite Five!" Only to end up trapped on Satellite Five. Everything was darker now, nothing more in the room than some barrels tied together and a few metal crates. The Doctor looked about, and notice the extreme lack of life, no guards, no workers, nothing.

"No guards," he noted, "That makes a change. You'd think a big business like Satellite Five would be armed to the teeth." He walked over to another door and started scanning with his screwdriver.

"Nopony's called it Satellite Five in about a hundred years," Lynda explained, "It's Game Station now."

"A hundred years exactly," the Doctor corrected, going to another door, "It's the year two zero zero one zero zero. I was here before, floor one three nine. The Satellite was broadcasting news back then, had a bit of trouble upstairs. Nothing to serious. Easy, gave them a hoof, was home in time for tea." Lynda stared at him, not believing a word.

"A hundred years ago? What, you were here a hundred years ago?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yep!"

"You're looking good on it." He turned back to her, "I moisturize." He trotted out of the doorway, staring at the Sonic and waving it around.

"Funny sorts of readings," the Doctor noted, "All kinds of energy, this place is humming. It's weird. This goes way beyond normal transmissions. What would they need all that energy for?"

"I don't know," Lynda admitted, "I think we're the first contestants to get outside the games."

"I had two friends who got caught in the transmat, where would they be?" asked the Doctor, still exploring.

"I don't know," Lynda replied, they could've been allocated anywhere. There's a hundred different games."

"Like what?"

"Well, there's ten floors of Big Brother, different house behind each white door. Um… Guess that Spell, unicorns only, gotta guess and re-perform the spell or you get turned into a parasprite. Er, Cloud Rush, Pegasus only, gotta hop from cloud to cloud before they vanish with your wings tied down. Wipeout, speaks for itself. Oh, and Stars in their eyes, literally, stars in there eyes. If you don't sing, you get blinded."

"And you watch this stuff?"

"Everypony does. How come you don't?"

"Never paid for my license," the Doctor replied.

"Oh my gosh! You get executed for that!" cried Lynda in surprise. The Doctor buzzed the sonic, "Let them try." He turned back to one of the doors and started scanning again.

"You keep saying things that don't make sense. Who are you though Doctor, really?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Well it does to me, I've just put my life in your hooves." The Doctor glanced back at her, "I'm just a traveler, wandering past. Believe it or not, all I'm after is a quiet life."

"So, if we get out of here, what're you going to do? Just wander off again?"

"Fast as I can."

"Could I come with you?" asked Lynda.

"Maybe you could," the Doctor replied, smiling ever so slightly.

"I wouldn't get in the way," she insisted.

"I wouldn't mind if you did," the Doctor answered, "Not a bad idea, Lynda with a Y. But first of all, we've got to concentrate on getting out. And to do that, you've got to know your enemy. Who's controlling all this? Who's in charge of the Game Station?" Lynda looked about, "Hold on." She galloped over and flipped on a light switch. The room lit up with fluorescent light, illuminating a giant sign. The Doctor stepped out of his alcove and looked up, his eyes widened and his jaw dropped.

The sign had three words, two written in giant red letters, that scared the Doctor. Because, it was like looking at the face of a stalker. One that's followed you through time. The sign read, Bad Wolf Corporation. Bad Wolf, there it was again.

* * *

Sky and his partner watched Lynda and the Doctor as they explored the rest of Game Station.

"Okay, you win," he admitted, "The Controller's got to handle this. The Archive makes a record of all transmat activities. Find out how they got on board." His friend nodded. Sky took a deep breath, walked around the computers, and towards the Controller. She was kind of freaky, not just because of the wires and staring eyes, but because she wasn't dead or brain fried. She just hung there, whispering, all day everyday.

"Controller?" asked Sky, "We have a problem."

"Continue working," the alicorn said blankly.

"We have a security problem."

"Continue working."

"I'm sorry, but I can't. We have contestants outside the games, but the alarms haven't gone off."

"No security. The games continue."

"But we can't just let them wander."

"They are nopony, they are nopony," the Controller repeated. Suddenly, she stiffened with a gasp of pain. Across the room, the mare helping Sky had put her hoof on the door scanner trying to get into archive six.

"I'm sorry, I was just-"

"Archive six is out of bounds!" the Controller ordered.

"But I need to check the transmat log."

"Archive six is out of bounds!" the Controller repeated, "Nopony may enter Archive six! Return to work. Return to work. Inform all staff, solar flares in delta point seven." She began to whisper once again, nopony would be getting a good answer out of her soon.

* * *

Jack plugged the last two wires together, "Compatible systems, just align the waves signatures, and, yes!" he pulled the defabricator off its stand, having to hover so he could hold it and move about, "Got myself a gun!" He had gotten his wrist device back from the robots and chosen a cool vest and light blue t-shirt to wear, all in all, Jack looked ready to kick butt.

"Well ladies, the pleasure was all mine," Jack said to the destroyed robots, "Which is the only thing that matters in the end." He opened the door and flew out of the dressing room, leaving a group of stunned viewers on the other end of the camera. When he reached the hub, he activated his wrist computer.

"Okay, two hearts, that's him. Which floor?" the computer didn't say. The lift behind him opened and he went in.

* * *

Lynda gasped when she walked into the observation deck. Outside the window lay a cloudy grey planet with orange lights peeking through the clouds.

"Blimey! I've never seen it before, not from orbit." The Doctor joined her at the window, "Gaia."

"What's happened to it?" asked the Doctor, staring out at the ruined planet with shock.

"Well, it's always been like that," Lynda replied, "ever since I was born." She gestured to a large swirling cloud of grey, "See that there? That's the great Dragon Smog storm. It's been going twenty years. We get newsflashes tell when it's safe to breathe outside."

"So the population just sits there? Half the world's too fat, half the world's to thin, and you lot just watch telly?"

"Ten thousand channels, all beaming down from here."

"Planet Gaia, populated by Brainless sheep being fed on a diet of- mind you, have they still got that programme where three ponies have to live with a bear?"

"oh, Bear With Me? I love that one!"

"Me too, the celebrity edition where the-"

"Bear got in the bath!" there was a moment of laughter, "But it's all gone wrong. I mean history's gone wrong, again. This should be the Fourth Great and Bountiful Equestrian Empire. I don't understand, last time I was here I set it right."

"But that's when it first went wrong," clarified Lynda, "A hundred years ago, like you said, all the news channels just shut down overnight."

"But that was me, I did that."

"There was nothing left in their place, no information, the whole planet just froze. The government, the economy, they collapsed. That was the start of it," she stared out the window, "One hundred years of hell." The Doctor watched Gaia outside, his face one of shock, "I made this world."

* * *

The last contestant was disintegrated, leaving Roseluck and Thunder to go head to head.

"_That leaves Roseluck and Thunder," _the Anne Droid monotoned, "_You're going head-to-head. Let's play, the Weakest link!"_

"Right, that's the end of tactical voting. You're on your own now." Roseluck nodded nervously, this wasn't good. This wasn't good in the slightest.

* * *

Jack flew into the observation deck, "Hey handsome, good to see you. Any sign of Roseluck?" he asked landing. The Doctor was trying to use the computer terminal but it was refusing to listen.

"Can't you track her down?" asked the Time-Pony.

"She must still be inside the games, all the rooms are shielded."

"If I can just get inside the computer, she's got to be here somewhere." He continued to use the screwdriver, focusing entirely on his job.

"Well you'd better hurry up, these games don't have a happy ending."

"Do you think I don't know that?!" Jack shrugged, he removed his wrist computer and tossed it over, "Use that, patch it in. It's programmed to find her."

"Thanks." He turned to Lynda.

"Hey there."

"Hello."

"Captain Jack Harness," he said offering his hoof.

"Lynda Moss," she replied shaking.

"Nice to meet you Lynda Moss."

"Do you mind flirting outside?" asked the Doctor annoyed.

"I was just saying hello!"

"For you that's flirting."

"I'm not complaining," Lynda said, blushing.

"Oh really?"

"It's not compatible!" cried the Doctor, he tossed Lynda Jack's minicomputer, "This stupid system doesn't make sense." He stood up and kicked the computer loosening the frame, he kicked it again. The frame cracked and he tugged it off. Lynda threw him the computer, he caught it and got back to work.

"This place should be a basic broadcaster, but the systems are twice as complicated," the Doctor explained through a mouthful of sonic screwdriver, "It's more than just television. This station's transmitting something else."

"Like what?" asked Jack.

"I don't know. This whole Bad Wolf thing's tied up with me. Somepony's manipulated my entire life. It's some sort of trap and Roseluck is stuck inside it."

* * *

_"Roseluck, in geography, the Grand Central Ravine is named after which old Equestrian city?"_ asked the Anne Droid.

"Is it… Hoofdon?"

"_No, the correct answer is Manehatten."_

* * *

"Found her," the Doctor said when He'd finally hacked the computer, "Flour four oh seven"

"Oh my gosh!" cried Lynda, "She's with the android, you've got to get her out of there!" He dropped the computer and they ran for the lift.

* * *

"_Thunder, in literature, the author of Lucky was Lilly who?"_

"Valley."

"_No, the correct answer is Pad. Roseluck, the oldest inhabitant of the Isop Galaxy is the Face of what?"_ Rosleuck thought for a moment, "Boe! The face of Boe!" There was a moment of tense silence, before the droid said "_That is the correct answer. Rodick, in history, who was President of Saddle Arabia in 2076?"_

"Hosbin Frane."

"_That is the correct answer. Roseluck, in food, the dish Gaffabeque originated on which planet?" _Roseluck tried to answer, but she had no idea. Sweat broke out on her forehead.

"Uh, is it… Mars?" she answered timidly.

"_No, the correct answer is Lucifer. Thunder, which measurement of length is said to have been defing be Emperor Jade as the distance from her nose to claw?"_

"Would that be, a goffle?"

"_No, the correct answer is Paab. Roseluck, in fasion, Stella Bok Paint is famous for what?"_

"Shoes," Roseluck answered, fear just starting to creep in.

"_No, the correct answer is hats._"

* * *

The lift finally arrived a floor 407, carrying the trio trying to stop this.

"Game room six? Which is it?!" cried the Doctor as they galloped into the floor,

"Over here!" Lynda cried. The Doctor ran over and began trying to hack the hoof-scanner.

"Stand back, let me blast it," Jack ordered.

"You can't, it's made of Hyrda Combination steel!"

* * *

The final question of, the Weakest Link.

"_Roseluck, in history, which Griffin city hosted Murder Spree Twenty?"_ She stared at the robot, opening and closing her mouth.

"Grifinalia?" she stuttered.

"_No, the correct answer is Feather Top."_ The game was over. Roseluck had lost, two to one. She was the weakest link.

"Oh my gosh!" cried her competitor cried, "I've done it! You've lost!"

"But I'm not supposed to be here, I need to find the Doctor!" cried Roseluck panicking, "He's got to be here somewhere he's always here! He wouldn't just leave me!"

"_Thunder_, _you are the strongest link, you will be transported home with one thousand six hundred credits,"_ the android congratulated.

"Thank you," Thunder replied happily, "Thank you so much."

"This game is illegal! Please, you've got to stop this!" The doors at the other end of the studio burst open, the Doctor and jack ran in, "Roseluck! Stop this game!"

"Doctor!"

"_Roseluck, you leave this life with nothing._" She galloped off the podium and over to her friends, "_You are the weakest link, goodbye._" The disintegrator beam hit her square in the head just as she reached them, dissolving her in a puff of dust.

"What the hell did you do to her?!" roared Jack, arming his massive laser. The Doctor just stared at the small dust pile, numb. He knelt down next to the dust, he'd made this happen, and he let her die. Everything around him became a blur; the Doctor sat there, just staring at the dust.

"_You killed her! Your stupid freaking game show killed her!"_

_ "I need security! I need it here now!"_

_ "Don't touch him! Leave him alone!"_

_ "Sir, put down your gun or I'll shoot. Sir, I'm arresting you under Private Legislation Sixteen of the Game Station Syndicate…"_

* * *

Twenty minutes later, our trio was in a prison cell. Outside the cage were their things, Sonic Screwdriver and remodeled Defabricator included. The guards had already asked them multiple questions, including uses of said devices and how they got onboard, taken mug shots, and all the regular police-y stuff.

"You will be taken from here to the Lunar Republic Maximum Security prison, there to be held without trial. You may not appeal to this sentence, understood?" No reply from said prisoners. The guard turned and exited the cell, the Doctor looked at Jack.

"Let's do it." they sprang into action, Jack tackled the first guard into the metal doorway then bucked the second in the face knocking him out. A third guard galloped over to try and stop the Doctor, who merely tripped him then hit him once in the head for good measure. Jack grabbed his defabricator and the Doctor his Sonic, Lynda took the guards guns and all the extra ammunition.

Now armed, it was time to face the boss. They galloped into a lift and ordered it to floor five hundred.

* * *

Sky watched this whole thing with wide eyes, "Oh no, now we're in trouble." He ran to the front of the room, in front of he Controller.

"Clear the floor, he's on his way up here, with a gun!" Ponies began tearing off their headphones and trying to deactivate the elevator.

"This is an emergency! You've got to close the lift!" somepony told the Controller.

"All staff are reminded that solar flares commence in Delta point two," the Controller said, oblivious to their panic.

"Nevermind Solar flares, he's going to kill you!" Then the lift arrived.

"Okay, move away from the desk! Nopony try anything clever, everypony clear? Stand to the side and stay there!" ordered Jack, armed with a pair of nasty looking rifles. The Doctor stormed right up to the Controller, defabricator laser at the ready.

"Who's in charge of this place?" he demanded, no response from the Controller, "This satellite's more than a Game Station, who killed Roseluck?!"

"All staff reminded that solar flares-"

"I want an answer!"

"Occur in delta point one."

"She can't reply," one of the workers said, the Doctor turned to face them. "Don't shoot!"

"Oh don't be so thick, like I was ever going to shoot," he set the blaster down, "Captain, we've got more guards on the way, secure those doors."

"Yes sir."

"You," he pointed at Sky, who'd spoken up before, "What were you saying?"

"She's linked to all the transmissions," Sky explained, "the entire output goes through her brain. You're not a member of staff so she doesn't recognize your existence."

"What's her name?" asked the Doctor.

"I don't know, she was installed when she was five years old. That's the only life she's ever known."

"Door's sealed," called Jack, "we should be safe for about ten minutes."

"Keep an eye on them."

"But the stuff you were saying about something going on with the Game Station, I think you're right," said Sky, "I've kept a log. Unauthorized Transmats, encrypted signals, it's been going on for years."

"Show me," the Doctor ordered. Across the room, Jack was trying to access Archive Six.

"You're not allowed in there, Archive Six is out of bounds," one of the workers explained. Jack held up one of the guns, "Do I look like an out of bounds kind of guy?" The door opened and he trotted inside. And what marvelous device should be standing in the small white room? The Tardis of course. Jack smirked and trotted inside.

He kicked the door shut behind him and hovered over to the console.

"What the hell?"

* * *

"Solar flare activity in Delta point zero fifteen," the Controller announced.

"If you're not holding us hostage, then open the door and let us out. The staff are terrified."

"That's the same group of ponies that excecute hundreds of 'contestants' every day," the Doctor replied, focused on what he was doing.

"That's not our fault, we're just doing our jobs!"

"And with that sentence you just lost the right to even talk to me. Now back off!" Suddenly the power dropped, the TVs up front went all static and the computers dimmed.

"That's just the solar flares," Sky explained, "They interfere with the broadcast signal, so this place automatically powers down. Gaia gets a few repeats, it's all quite normal."

"_doctor…"_

"Doctor?"

"Whatever it is, you can wait," the Doctor said not looking up from his work.

"I think she wants you." The Time-Pony looked up, the Controller she was looking around, eyes wide with fear.

"Doctor? Doctor? Where's the Doctor?" she asked. The Doctor ran forward, "I'm here."

"can't see," she swhispered, "I'm blind, so blind. All my life blind. All I can see are numbers, but I could see you."

"What do you want?" asked the Doctor.

"Solar flares hiding me, they can't hear me. My masters, they always listen but they can't hear me now the sun, the sun is so bright."

"Who are you masters?"

"They wired my head, the name's forbidden, they control my thoughts. I had to be careful. They monitor transmissions but they don't watch the programs, I could hide you in the games. I knew you would find me."

"My friend died inside your games."

"Doesn't matter."

"Don't tell me that."

"They've been hiding. my masters hiding in deep space, watching and shaping our world for so, so, so many years. Always there, guiding Equestria, hundreds and hundreds of years."

"Who are they?" demanded the Time-Pony.

"They're strong now, so strong. They wait and plan and grow in numbers."

"Who, are, they?" The Controller looked down at him and hissed, "But they speak of you, my masters, they fear the Doctor."

"Tell me, who are they?" The Controller gasped, then returned to a limp alicorn dangling from the wires as the station came back online.

"When's the next solar flare?" he demanded.

"Two years' time," Sky replied.

"Fat lot of good that is." Jack came trotting out of Archive Six, "Found the Tardis!"

"We're not leaving now."

"No, but the Tardis worked it out," the Doctor looked at Jack curiously, "You'll want to watch this. Lynda, could you stand over there for me please?"

"I just want to go home," she said.

"It'll only take a second. Could you stands in that spot?" Lynda nodded, then ran over in front of the door like Jack had instructed.

"Everypony watching? Okay, three, two, one-" _zap!_ A yellow beam shot out of the ceiling disintegrating Lynda.

"But you killed her."

"Oh do you think?" there was another ray, right next to the Doctor and Lynda Moss reappeared, mane, hooves, tail and all. She wobbled for a moment, "What the hell was that?"

"It's a transmat beam," jack explained, "Not a disintegrator, a secondary transmat system. Ponies don't get killed in the games, they get transported across space. Doctor Roseluck's still alive!"

* * *

Roseluck opened her eyes, she was in a space ship, lying on the ground. Everything seemed to be made of bronze, except for blue lights behind the paneling. Weird escape pod like chambers sat closed on the walls.

Roseluck slowly got onto her hooves, and looked around. She turned around and gasped, backing away quickly.

"No, it can't be. You're dead! I watched you die!" she cried, backed into a wall.

* * *

"She's out there somewhere," the Doctor said, working furiously on one of the computers.

"Doctor!" the Controller called out, "Co-ordiantes five point six one-"

"Don't, the solar flares gone, they'll hear you!"

"Point four three seven- no, my masters, no! I defy you! Stigma seven seven-agh!" the tarnsmat zapped the Controller teleporting her to Celestia knows where.

"They took her."

* * *

The Controller opened her eyes, she could actually see. Slowly, she got to her hooves, which were unsteady from zero use. She stood up and looked her master straight on.

"Oh my masters, you can kill me, for I have brought your destruction," she said smiling. Something fired a laser at her, lighting her up and making her skeleton glow, but she was still smiling.

* * *

Sky handed a small usb drive to the Doctor, "Use this. It might contain the final numbers. I kept a log of all the unscheduled transmits."

"Nice, thanks," Jack held out his hoof, "Captain Jack Harness by the way."

"Nice to meet you, Dusk Sky," they shook.

"There's a time and a place," the Doctor said exasperatedly.

"Are you saying this entire set up's been a disguise all along?"

"Going way back. Installing the Jagrafess a hundred years ago," the Doctor explained remembering, "Somepony's been playing a long game, (the hint's in the title) controlling Gaia behind the scenes for generations." The Doctor inputted the last two co-ordinates, a giant holo-screen appeared in front of where the Controller used to be, it showed a random point out in space.

"The transmat delivers to this point in space," Captain Jack explained.

"There's nothing there."

"It looks like nothing," the Doctor said grimly, "It looks like nothing because that's what this station does. Underneath the transmission there's another signal."

"Doing what?"

"Hiding whatever's out there. "Hiding it from sonar, radar, scanner. There's something sitting directly on top of Gaia but it's completely invisible. If I cancel the signal-" and he did, revealing a sight more terrifying to the Time-Pony than anypony else. Because, it revealed a flying saucer made of a bronze-like metal and slowly spinning in space. But that was only the mother ship, of a fleet of hundreds. Hundreds of these ships just sitting out in space.

"That's impossible," muttered Jack, "I know those ships, they were destroyed!"

"Obviously they survived," the Doctor mumbled.

"Who did?" asked Lynda, "Who are they?"

"Two hundred ships," he continued, "More than two thousand on boared each one. That's just about half a million of them."

"Half a million of what?" The Doctor stared at the ships on the screen in stunned silence for a moment, then he replied, "Daleks."

Daleks, it's always Daleks.

* * *

"Alert alert! We are detected!" a Dalek cawed.

"It is the Doc-tor, he has loc-ated us. Open co-munica-tions channel." One of the Daleks rolled over to Roseluck, who was pressed into a corner trying to hide.

"The female will stand," the Dalek ordered, "Stand!" Roseluck looked up at it, terrified, but she did get onto her hooves, just as a holo-screen of the ponies at Floor 500 appeared.

"I will talk to the Doc-tor!" the 'lead' Dalek squawked.

"_Oh will you? That's nice, hello!"_ the Doctor replied, smiling cheekily and waving his hoof at them.

"The Dalek stratagem nears completion, the fleet is almost ready. You will not intervene."

"_Oh really? Why's that?" _asked the Doctor.

"We have your associate, you will obey or she will be exterminated!"

"_No._" Everypony or, Dalek looked at him.

"Explain yourself," the Dalek ordered.

"_I said no,_" the Doctor repeated.

"What is the meaning of this negative?" asked the Dalek

"_It means no._"

"But she will be destroyed."

"_No!_" the Doctor cried, leaping to his hooves, "_Because this is what I'm going to do, I'm going to rescue her. I'm going to save my friend Roseluck from the middle of the Dalek fleet, and then I'm going to save Gaia, and then, just to finish off, I'm going to wipe every last stinking Dalek out of the sky!"_

"But you have no weapons, no defences, no plan," the Dalek said.

"_Yeah, and doesn't that scare you to death_," the Doctor taunted, "_Roseluck?"_

"Yes Doctor?" she replied, hope refuled.

"_I'm coming to get you,"_ he insisted, deactivating the transmission with his sonic screwdriver.

"The Doctor is initiating hostile action," one of the Daleks squawked.

"The stratagem must advance! Begin the invasion of Gaia!" cried another.

"The Doctor will be exterminated!"

"Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate!" cried all the Daleks in the mother-ship.

_To be continued in Parting Of The Ways…_

**Me: Exterminate! Ha ha ha, I'm just joking. The good part comes next week, finishing season 1 just in time for school.**

**Doctor who, the Daleks, and Game Station are all property of BBC. Gaia, Roseluck, and Celestia are all property of Hasbro. The Weakest Link, What Not to Wear, and the Big Brother House, well, they just don't belong to me.**


	14. Episode 13, The Parting of the Ways

Doctor Whooves

_Parting Of the Ways_

**Part two of our Dalek infested grand finale! This is one of my more favorite episodes, due to the just pure amazingness of- never mind, I've said too much!**

"You know the Doc-tor, you un-der-stand him. You will predict actions!"

"I don't know! And even if I did, I wouldn't tell you," Roseluck said stubbornly.

"Predict!" the Dalek roared, "Predict! Predict!"

"Tar-dis de-tec-ted, in flight," another Dalek croaked.

"Launch mis-siles, Exterminate!"

"You can't!" Roseluck protested, "The Tardis hasn't got any defenses, you're going to kill him!"

"You have pre-dicted corr-ectly."

* * *

The Tardis was flying to the Dalek Mother-Ship, spinning through space towards the bronze disk. Two large missiles came flying out of the ship straight for the Tardis.

"We've got incoming!" cried Captain Jack Harness, as he and the Doctor piloted the blue box. The missiles struck the Tardis, but it had vanished leaving them to explode by striking nothing. Inside the Tardis, the Extrapolater was glowing and flashing as it worked.

"The extrapolater's working, we've got a fully functional shield," Jack reported. The Doctor smirked, "And for our next trick…"

* * *

"Tardis detected!" cried a Dalek. Roseluck watched in awe as it materialized around her, and the Dalek next to looked back at the Doctor.

"Roseluck get down!" She dropped to her knees as the Dalek fired at the Doctor and Jack took it out with a blast from his modified defabricator. The Dalek's head exploded and it ceased firing. Roseluck got to her hooves, she looked over at the Doctor. He smiled, she galloped over and hugged him, "You did it."

"Told you I'd come and get you," he replied. They broke apart.

"Never doubted it."

"I did, you alright?"

"Yeah. You?"

"Not bad, been better."

"Hey don't I get a hug?" asked the Pegasus.

"Oh come here," said Roseluck giving Jack a hug.

"I was talking to him," Jack said, hugging her anyways, "Welcome home."

"Oh I thought I'd never see you again."

"You were lucky," Jack said, breaking away, "That was just a one shot wonder. Drained the gun of all its power supply. Now it's just space junk." The Doctor knelt next to the destroyed Dalek, inspecting it. It was no doubt one of those infernal creatures, but how? They'd destroyed the last one long ago.

"You said they were extinct," Roseluck said, looking at the Dalek, "How come they're still alive?"

"One minute, they're the greatest threat in the universe," Jack explained, "Next they vanish out of time and space."

"They went off to fight a bigger war," the Doctor muttered, "The Time War."

"I thought that was just a legend." The Doctor stood up, "I was there. The war was between the Daleks and the Time-Ponies, with all of creation at stake. My people were destroyed, but they took the Daleks with them. I almost thought it was worth it, now it turned out they died for nothing."

"There's thousands of them now. We could hardly stop one, what're we going to do?" asked Roseluck. The Doctor thought for a moment, "No good standing round here chatting. Equestrians, you'd gossip all day. The Daleks have the answers," he smiled, "Let's go meet the neighbors." He ran for the door, "You can't go out there!" But he did. And almost immediately all the daleks began firing at him. But none hit the Time-Pony. The lasers just stopped midair, as far as three meters away from the Tardis.

The Doctor looked at them, "Is that it?" One Dalek fired again.

"Useless!" the Doctor confirmed as his friends stepped out of the Tardis, "Nul points. It's okay you guys, this force-field can hold back anything."

"Almost anything," Jack corrected.

"Yes, but I wasn't going to tell them that thanks."

"Sorry." The Doctor turned back to the Daleks, "Do you know what they called me in ancient legends of Skaro? The Oncoming Storm." He walked up to the nearest Dalek and looked it straight in the eye.

"You might've removed every single one of your emotions, but I reckon right down deep in your DNA, there's one little spark left. And that's fear. Doesn't it just burn when you face me? So, let's hear it, how did you survive the Time War?"

"They survived through me," a deep voice said. It sounded like a Dalek, but deeper and more evil. The Doctor turned around, and the Oncoming Storm was face to face with the Dalek Emperor. The lights came on, revealing a giant three legged Dalek stand with a massive head and eye stalk. Under that was a fish-tank like thing housing a large thing, with a head shaped like a brain, multiple tentacles, and only one eye.

"Roseluck, Captain," the Doctor said, eyes wide, "This is the Emperor of the Daleks."

"You destroyed us Doc-tor," the Emperor growled, "The Dalek race died in your inferno, but my ship sur-vived, falling through time, crippled but a-live."

"I get it," the Doctor interrupted.

"Do not interrupt!" a Dalek cried.

"Do not interrupt!"

"Do not interrupt!"

"I think you're forgetting something," the Doctor said, "I'm the Doctor, and if there's one thing I can do, its talk. I've got five billion languages, and you've got not one way of stopping me. So if anypony's going to shut up, ITS YOU!" he roared, the Daleks all backed away, afraid. "Okey doke, So, where were we?"

"We waited here in the Dark space," the Emperor continued, "damaged, but re-building. Centuries passed, and we quietly infil-trated the systems of Gaia, harvesting the waste of Eques-tria. The pri-soners, the ref-u-gees, the ev-icted. They all came to us. The bodies were filtered, pulped, sifted. The seeds of Gaia are perverted, only one cell in a billion was fit to be nur-tured!"

"You created an army of Daleks out of the dead…" Roseluck looked around them at said Dalek army, "That makes them only half-Dalek."

"Those words are blasphemy!" the Dalek Emperor roared.

"Do not blaspheme."

"Do not blaspheme."

"Do not blaspheme," the Daleks repeated.

"Everything non-Dalek has been purged. I cultivated pure and bless-ed Daleks," the Emperor replied. The Doctor looked back at the Emperor, "Since when do Daleks have a concept of blasphemy?"

"I reached into the dirt and made new life. I am the God of all Daleks!"

"Worship him!"

"Worship him!"

"Worship him!" The Doctor stared wide-eyed at the chanting Daleks, "They're insane, hiding in silence for hundreds of years, that's enough to drive anypony mad. But it's worse than that. Driven mad by your own flesh. The stink of Gaia's lost, and that makes them more deadly than ever." He turned back to his friends, "We're going."

"You may not leave my presence!" cried the Dalek Emperor. The ponies walked back to the Tardis, ignoring them.

"Stay where you are!" cried a Dalek. They walked inside the Tardis.

"Exterminate!" They began firing at the Tardis.

"Exterminate!" Just as the doors closed.

"Exterminate!" The Doctor closed the doors, he leaned his head against the door, and sighed in defeat.

* * *

The Tardis rematerialized back on Floor 500. The Doctor was the first one out.

"Turn everything out! All transmitters full power, wide open. Now! Do it!" he commanded.

"What will that do?" asked Sky.

"It'll stop the Daleks from transmatting on board. Did you contact Gaia?"

"Well, we tried to warn them, but all they did was suspend our license because we stopped the programs," Sky explained.

"So the planet's just sitting there defenseless. Lynda, what're you still doing on board? I told you to evacuate everypony."

"She wouldn't go."

"I didn't want to leave you," Lynda protested.

"There weren't enough shuttles anyway, or I wouldn't be here. We've got about a hundred ponies stranded on floor zero." Sky gasped suddenly, "Oh no, the Fleet is moving, they're on their way!" The Doctor ran over between the computer terminals and began tearing out wires, everypony watched him as he did this.

"Dalek plan, big mistake, becasuet hey left me with? Anypony? Anypony? Oh come on, it's obvious. A great big transmitter, this station, if I can change the signal. Fold it back, sequence it, anypony?"

"You've got to be kidding," Jack said.

"Give the stallion a medal!"

"A Delta wave?"

"A Delta wave!"

"What's a Delta wave?" asked Roseluck.

"A wave of Van Cassadyne energy," Jack explained, 'It fries your brain. Stand in the way of a Delta wave and your head gets barbequed."

"Well, get started then!" cried Lynda.

"Trouble is, wave this size, building this size, brain as clever as mine, should take about," the Doctor thought for a moment, "Oh, three days? How long till the fleet arrives?"

"Twenty-two minutes."

* * *

"We've got a forcefeild so they can't blast us out of the sky, but that doesn't prevent the Daleks from physically invading," explained Jack.

"Do they know about the Delta wave?" asked Sky, glancing back at the Doctor.

"They'll have worked it out at the same time. So, they want to stop the Doctor, that means they've got to get to this level, five hundred," Jack pointed at the top floors on the blue print. "I can concentrate the extrapolater around the top six levels, five hundred to four nine five. So they'll penetrate it there and fight their way up."

"Who are they fighting?" asked Sky.

"Us," Jack replied.

"And what are we fighting with?"

"The guards had guns with bastic bullets, that's enough to blow a Dalek wide open. Plus, w've got something they don't."

"What?"

"Magic. Any unicorns who are going to help can use spells to freeze the Daleks in place and disable shields."

"But there's only five of us."

"Roseluck! You can help me," the Doctor called. Roseluck trotted over and began helping him build the Delta wave.

"Right, now there's four of us," Sky grumbled.

"Then let's move it!" ordered Jack, "Into the lift, isolate the controls." Sky nodded, he and a friend ran into the lift and began doing just that.

Lynda walked up to the Doctor, "I just wanted to say, thanks, I suppose. I'll try my best."

"Me too," the Doctor replied. They shook hooves and she walked away.

"It's been fun," Jack said, "But I guess this is goodbye."

"Don't talk like that," Roseluck said, "The Doctor's going to do it. You just watch."

"Roseluck," Jack smiled, "You are worth fighting for." He leaned forward and kissed her, then turned to the Doctor.

"Wish I'd never met you Doctor, I was better off as a coward," he hugged the Doctor, "See you in hell." Roseluck watched him as he joined the others in the elevator lift.

"He's going to be alright," she said, confidently. She looked at the Doctor, "Isn't he?"

* * *

Down on Floor Zero it was utter chaos. Everypony panicking, and running about. Captain Jack raised his machine gun and fired a round in the air, getting everypony's attention and causing them to stop.

"One last time," he called, "Any more volunteers? There's an army about to invade this station and I need every last citizen to mount a defense-"

"Don't listen to him!" cried Thunder, the same self-centered jerk who'd gotten Roseluck eliminated, "There aren't any Daleks. They disappeared thousands of years ago." Despite these claims, a mare stepped forward and joined the volunteers.

"Thanks," Jack said, nodding at her, "As for the rest of you, the Daleks will enter the station at flor four nine four and as far as I can tell, they'll head up, not down. But that's not a promise. SO here's a few words of advice. Keep, quiet." His tone became deadly serious, "And if you hear fighting up above, if you hear us dying, then go on and tell me that Daleks aren't real. Don't make a sound." He turned to the volunteers, "Let's go."

* * *

"Suppose…"

"What?"

"Never mind."

"You said suppose." Roseluck removed another wire cover then glanced up at her Time-Pony friend, "No, I was thinking. I mean, obviously you can't, but what if we could go back a week and warn them?"

"As soon as the Tardis lands in that second, I become part of events, stuck in timeline," the Doctor explained, attaching another wire to his Delta machine.

"Yeah, thought it was something like that."

"There's another thing the Tardis could do," the Doctor said, "It could take us away. We could leave. Let history take its course. We could go to the Crystal Empire the very day it returned and watch Sombra get defeated."

"Yeah, but you wouldn't," Roseluck replied, "You'd never do that."

"No, but you could ask. Never occurred to you did it?"

"Well I'm just too good," Roseluck replied handing him one last wire. He plugged it in, there was a burst of electricity inside the wave generator. He stepped back.

"The Delta wave's started building. How long does it need?" They ran over to the front computer. The Doctor looked at the results, and his face fell.

"Is that bad?" asked Roseluck, the Doctor looked up at her, "Okay it's bad. How bad is it?" Suddenly his eyes widened and he smiled, "Roseluck you're a genius!" He kissed her on the cheek and ran over to the Tardis, "We can do it, If I use the Tardis to cross my old timeline. Yes!" They ran into the blue box.

"Hold that down and keep position," the Doctor instructed.

"What's it do?" asked Roseluck, doing as he instructed.

"Cancels the buffers. If I'm clever, and I'm more than clever I'm brilliant, I might just save the world… or rip it apart."

"I'd go with the first one."

"Me too. Now, I've just got to go and power up the Game Station. Hold on!" he galloped out of the Tardis, but stopped outside. The Tardis doors had closed behind him, he turned around and looked at them. He sighed, pulled out the Sonic Screwdriver and aimed it at his precious time machine. He activated the device, and the Tardis engines activated. It began to fade out of existence.

"Doctor!" Roseluck cried from the inside, "What're you doing? Can I take my hoof off? It's moving!" She let go of the switch and galloped over to the doors.

"Doctor! Let me out!" she pushed and pulled trying to get the Tardis doors open, but they refused to budge. She tried again, no success. _Bwip._

_"This is Emergency Program One,_" Roseluck whirled around, a holographic form of the Doctor was standing behind her.

"_Roseluck, now listen," _it said,_ "This is important. If this message is activated, then it can only mean one thing. We must be in danger. And I mean fatal. I'm dead or about to die any second with no chance of escape_."

"NO!" Roseluck protested.

"_And that's okay, hope it's a good death,_" the holo-Doctor said, "_But I promised to look after you, and that's what I'm doing. The Tardis is taking you home._"

"I won't let you!"

"_And I bet you're fussing and moaning now. Typical. But hold on and just listen a bit more. The Tardis can never return to me. Emergency Program One means I'm facing an enemy that should never get their hooves on this machine."_ Roseluck walked around the hologram, watching it from the side._ "So this is what you should do. Let the Tardis die, just let this old box gather dust. Let it become a strange little thing sitting on a street corner. _

_ "Nopony can open it. Nopony will even notice it. And over the years, the word'll move on and this box will be buried. And if you want to remember me, then you can do one thing. That's all, one thing."_ The hologram turned and looked at her, meeting her eyes, "_Have a good life. Do that for me Roseluck. Have a fantastic life, like I never could._" The image flickered out, leaving Roseluck alone in the Tardis, her eyes filling with tears.

"You can't do this," she cried, "You can't!" she ran over to the Tardis controls and began pressing buttons and flipping switches. "Take me back! Take me back! No! Come on fly! How do you fly! Come on Tardis, help me!" The engines stopped, she'd landed. Roseluck galloped outside, she was home. She stood there, staring up at the sky.

Gear came running down the road, his large brown jacket flapping behind him.

"I knew it!" he cried with a smile, "I was all the way down at the shop and I heard the engines. I thought, there's only one thing that makes a noise like that." He stopped when Rosleuck looked at him, face wet with tears, "What is it?" Roseluck hugged her old friend, now sobbing uncontrollably.

* * *

"_Roseluck,_" Jack called over the intercom, "_I've called up the internal laser codes. There chould be a different number on every screen. Can you read them out to me?"_

"She's not here," the Doctor replied grimly, working on his Delta Wave.

"_Of all times to take a leak, when she gets back, tell her to read me the codes._"

"She's not coming back," the Doctor corrected, averting his eyes.

"_What do you mean? Where'd she go?"_ asked Jack.

"Just get on with your work."

"_You took her home, didn't you?_"

"Yeah."

"_The Delta Wave, is it ever going to be ready?_"

_ "Tell him the truth Doc-tor._" A menacing voice insisted. It was the Dalek Emperor, somehow he'd hacked into the floor 500 view screen. "_There is ev-ery possi-bil-ity that Delta Wave could be complete. But no possi-bil-ity for refining it. The Delta Wave must kill every living thing in its path, with no dis-tin-ction between pony, and Da-lek. _

_ "All things will die, by your hoof."_

_"Doctor, the range of this transmitter covers all of Gaia," _Jack explained.

"_You would destroy Da-leks and Ponies together. If I am the god, what does that make you Doc-tor?"_

"There are colonies out there," the Doctor replied, voice wavering, "Ponies will survive in some shape or form, but you're the only Daleks in existence. The whole Universe is in danger if I let you live," the Doctor looked at Jack, "So you see Jack? That's the decision I've got to make for every living thing. Die as a stallion or live as a Dalek."

_"You sent her home, she's safe, keep working," _Jack encouraged.

"_But he will exterminate you!_" the Emperor said.

"_I've never doubted him, never will._" The Doctor stood up from his work and walked over to the holo-screen, he looked up at the Dalek Emperor.

"Now, you tell me, God of all Daleks, because there's one thing I never worked out," the Doctor said seriously, "The words, Bad Wolf, spread across time and space, everywhere, drawing me in. How'd you manage that?"

"_I did nothing._" The Emperor replied.

"Oh come on, there's no secrets now, 'your worship'," he retorted sarcastically.

"_They are not part of my design. This is the Truth of God._" The Doctor looked up at the Bad Wolf Corp. sign, if it wasn't dalek god, how'd those words get everywhere? And what did they mean?

* * *

Roseluck stared at her salad, pushing it around absentmindedly. Her mum and Gear chattered away, not a care in the world.

"Oh Roseluck, have something to eat," Lilly-luck insisted.

"Two hundred years in the future, he's dying," Roseluck mumbled, staring out the window, "and there's nothing I can do."

"Well it's like you said, two thousand years. It's way off," Lilly replied.

"But it's not! It's now!" Roseluck protested, "That fight is happening right now, and he's fighting for us, for the whole planet, and I'm just sitting here eating chips!"

"Listen to me, Celestia knows I have hated that stallion but right now, I love him and do you know why?" asked Lilly, "Because he did the right thing. He sent you back to me."

"But what do I do every day mum?" demanded Roseluck, "What do I do? Get up, go to work, come back home, watch telly, eat chips, and go to bed? Is that it?"

"It's what the rest of us do," Gear replied.

"But I can't!"

"Why, because your better than us?"

"No, I didn't mean that- but it was, it was a better life. And I don't mean all the travelling and seeing aliens, spaceships, and things. That doesn't matter. The Doctor showed me a better way of living my life, you know, he showed you too Gear. That you don't just give up, you don't let things just happen, you make a stand, you say no, you have the guts what's right when everypony else just runs away and I can't just- agh!" She slammed her hooves on the table in frustration, then leapt up and galloped out of the tiny shop.

* * *

"Right, Lynda, you are my eyes and ears," Jack explained, showing her how to access the computer terminal, "When the Daleks get in, you can follow them on that screen and report it to me."

"Understood," Lynda Moss replied.

"They'll detect you but the door's made of Hydra Combination Steel. It should keep them out," he said pointing at the door.

"Should?"

"It's the best I can do." Jack pressed a button on his wrist computer. "How long till the Fleet arrives?"

"_They've accelerated."_

"This is it mares and gentle-colts, we are at war!" called Jack.

The Fleet had indeed arrived at Game Station, one thousand flying saucers filled with two thousand killing machines each. The Daleks began streaming out of the ships flying through space towards the satellite. Hundreds of them, thousands, and almost no way to stop them.

* * *

"You can't keep thinking about the Doctor your whole life," Gear told her. Roseluck stared ahead at the graffitied wall, "But how do I forget him?"

"You've got to start living your own life," Gear said, looking over at her, "You know, a proper life. Like the one he never got to have. The sort of life you could have with me." Roseluck looked at the wall, then at the concrete. Her eyes widened in surprise. Because written there, in yellow and white chalk, were the giant words, BAD WOLF. She stood up and walked over to it, then she saw it on the walls as well.

"Over here, it's over here as well!" she cried, galloping over.

"That's been there for years, it's just a phrase," Gear cried after her, "It's just words."

"I thought it was a warning," Roseluck muttered, "Maybe it's the opposite, maybe it's a message! The same words written now and two hundred thousand years in the future. It's a link between me and the Doctor! Bad Wolf here, Bad Wolf there." She turned and ran past Gear.

"But if it's a message, what's it saying?!" he called.

"It's telling me I can get back! The least I can do is help him escape!"

* * *

"_Stand your ground everypony, follow my commands, and good luck,_" Jack ordered, every volunteer and soldier fighting against the Daleks could hear this. Lynda kept her eyes glued to the satellite schematic.

"You were right. They're forcing the airlock on four nine four," she relayed. The whole satellite shook violently as the killers broke through the airlock into Game Station.

* * *

"All the Tardis needs to do is make a return trip," Roseluck explained, tapping her hoof on the console while she thought.

"Yeah, but we still can't do it," Gear grumbled.

"the Doctor always said the Tardis was telepathic. This thing is alive," Roseluck explained, "It can listen."

"It's not listening now is it?"

"We need to get inside," Roseluck mused, kneeling down next to the console, "Last time I saw you, with the slitheen, this middle bit opened up, and there was this light, and the Doctor said it was the heart of the Tardis. If we can open it, I can make contact, I can tell it what to do."

"Roseluck…"

"Hm?"

"If you go back, you're going to die," Gear said, worried.

"That's a risk I've got to take," Roseluck replied, "Because there's nothing left for me here."

"Nothing?"

"Yep."

"Okay then, let's get this thing open."

* * *

"_Okay, activate internal lasers! Slice 'em up!"_ One of the volunteers tried to activate them, but there was a shorting out _bzzrt,_ no lasers.

"Defenses have gone offline," Lynda relayed, "The Dalek's have overridden the lot." Daleks were swarming floor four nine four, the few volunteers there were trying to shoot them. But the bullets were simply vanishing in midair before even hitting the robots. And one by one, those on flour four nine four were 'exterminated'.

* * *

"Pull!" Roseluck and Gear pulled on the chain with all their might, they'd attached one end to the Tardis console, and the other to a plow. Both of them were pushing on the plow, pulling on the chain, pulling on the console.

"Faster!" cried Roseluck, Gear flapped his wings, they both pushed. But nothing was happening. From a distance, Lilly-luck watched them pull fruitlessly against the chain.

"Come on!" cried Gear, Roseluck looked back, "It's not moving!" The chain snapped before the console budged. Roseluck and Gear fell forward as the chain gained slack. She slammed the pavement in frustration.

* * *

"_Advance guard have made it to four nine five," _Lynda said.

"_Jack, how're we doing?_" asked the Doctor.

"Four nine five should be good," the Captain said, "I like four nine five." Because on four nine five was an Anne Droid, her transmat replaced by an actual laser.

"Identify yourself!" the approaching Dalek commanded.

_ "You are the weakest link, goodbye!_" _zapzapzap-_ three Daleks in one five second period. Jack hooted in celebration upstairs.

_"You are the weakest link,_" Anne Droid began as another Dalek approached. It blasted off her head before she could finish. _"Goodb-"_

"Proceed to next level," the Dalek ordered.

* * *

"They're flying up the ventilation shafts," Lynda said, terrified, "No, wait a minute. Oh Celestia, why're they doing that? They're going down!" Indeed, the ruthless Daleks were flying down the ventilation shafts, all the way to floor Zero. Lynda heard the screams all the way up there, the laser fires, those Daleks were killing everypony down there. Only moments later, it all stopped.

"Floor Zero, they killed them all," she whispered.

* * *

"It was never going to work sweetheart," Lilly-luck said, Rosleuck looked up at her from the Captain's seat, "And the Doctor knew that, he wanted you safe."

"I can't give up," Roseluck replied.

"Just lock the door and trot away," Lilly insisted.

"Dad wouldn't give up," Roseluck muttered.

"Well he's not here is he? And even if he was, he'd say the same."

"No, he wouldn't," Roseluck corrected, "He'd tell me to try anything. If I could save the Doctor's life, try anything."

"Well we're never going to know."

"Well I know I know because I met him. I met Dad."

"Oh don't be ridiculous."

"The Doctor took me back in time, and I met dad," Roseluck insisted.

"Don't say that," Lilly snapped.

"Remember when Dad died?" asked Roseluck, trying to keep her voice from cracking, "There was somepony with him. A mare, an earth mare. She held his hoof. You saw her from a distance Mum. You saw her! Think about it, that was me. You saw me!"

"Stop it!" Lilly-luck snapped.

"That's how good the Doctor is."

"Stop it! Just stop it!" Lilly-luck turned and galloped out of the Tardis, leaving Roseluck there, crying alone.

* * *

"_Lynda! What's happening on Gaia?"_ asked the Doctor.

"The Fleet's descending," Lynda replied, "They're bombing whole kingdoms." She watched, as each bomb fell, a group on her screen would become distorted and break. "Equestria, Grinillia, the Crystal empire, Dragon Island's just gone."

"_This is perfection," _the Dalek Emperor mused, "_I have created Heaven in Hell."_

* * *

"Floor four nine nine, we're the last defense," Captain Jack instructed, "The bullets should work if you concentrate on the Dalek's eyestalk. I've got the force-field at max so Dalek lasers should be at their weakest." The last soldiers were hiding behind a make-shift wall of metal and plastic, with little openings just big enough to fire a spell or gun. No Dalek's had arrived yet, but tensions were high. Any minute now, the battle would move onto them.

* * *

"There's got to be something else we can do," Gear said.

"Mum was right," Roseluck said, staring at the Tardis, "Maybe we should just lock the door and walk away."

"I'm not having that," Gear protested, "I'm not having you just-just give up now. No way, we just need something bigger." Gear looked down the road and broke into a smile, "Something like them." Roseluck followed his gaze, and gasped. Lilly was galloping down the road with Daisy, and a few others in tow. She walked up to Roseluck.

"Okay, they don't know about the Tardis, they think they're helping you get it unstuck from the side of a building," Lilly explained, "But they won't be fooled for long. So get on with it."

"Mum, where the hell did you find all of them?" asked Roseluck.

"Two owe me favors, one wanted to help, and one's my best pal," she explained, "Never mind though, but you were right about your dad sweet heart. He was always full of mad ideas, and it's exactly what he would've done. Now get on with it before somepony gets suspicious."

* * *

"Open fire!" called Jack as the Daleks rolled in. Bullets almost immediately began to rain down on them. But it didn't do anything, they kept getting closer.

"It's not working!"

"Concentrate your fire!" Jack cried, "Eyestalk two o'clock!" Somepony hit the blue light dead on, shattering it.

"My vision is impaired!" the injured Dalek cried, "I cannot see!"

"We did it!" somepony cried, but they were exterminated only a second later. The remaining ponies kept firing, but they were dropping like flies.

* * *

"Doctor, I've got a problem," Lynda called.

"Pony femal de-tec-ted."

"They've found me."

"_You'll be alright Lynda, that side of the Station's reinforced against meteors," _the Doctor insured.

"Hope so!" Lynda replied. She looked at the door, a red hot spot was beginning to form. Because outside, the Daleks were cutting the door open with a super blow torch. Slowly, the metal melted away. Lynda was scared enough as it was, but when she felt the hair on her neck stand up, she became terrified. Slowly, Lynda Moss turned around and looked out the observation window. Three Daleks were floating outside, the closest one's lights flashed three times, then it fired. The exoglass shattered, Lynda screamed, once.

* * *

"Last pony standing!" Jack cried, firing at the Daleks as he flew backwards away from them, "For Celestia's sake Doctor finish that thing and kill them!"

"_Finish that thing and destroy Gaia,_" the Emperor hissed. The Doctor glared at the Dalek God, but he kept working, scrambling to plug in wires and insert memory cards.

* * *

The second attempt at getting the Tardis console open was underway. Five strong and able ponies were pulling hard on the chain, Roseluck was inside the Tardis waiting for it to open.

"Keep going!" she called out. They pulled harder.

"Come on!" Gear called, pulling as hard as he could on the chain.

"Faster!"

"Come on, come on!"

"Give it so-" _Crash! Thwang!_ The Tardis console finale cacked open, the chain went salck and the ponies pulling on it fell. Roseluck stepped in front of the open Tardis, she looked into the heart. She was suddenly filled with energy, the Time Vortex, she knew exactly what to do and where to go.

"Roseluck!" called Gear, he tried to run into the Tardis but the doors slammed shut in his face. It began to dematerialize, they all watched in awe as it vanished out of their time, rocketing towards 200,100.

* * *

Doctor, you've got about twenty seconds maximum!" Jack cried as he fired off the last round of bullets from his machine gun at the oncoming Daleks. The gun clicked uselessly as the cartridge emptied. Jack pulled out his last pistol and emptied that too. He threw it to the side and faced the Daleks head on.

"Exterminate!" the machine cried.

"I kinda figured that." _Zap! _ Captain Jack was zapped by a Dalek, throwing him back into the ready elevator.

* * *

The Doctor pulled up the push bar on his Delta Wave machine, he was met with a powering up noise.

"It's ready!" he cried happily. Then the doors opened on all sides of the room, each one allowing Daleks to stream in. He spun around, hearts pumping in fear. He placed his hooves on the push bar, "You really want to think about this, because if I activate the signal, every living creatur dies."

"_I am im-mortal," _the Dalek Emperor said.

"Do you want to put that to the test?" demanded the Time-Pony.

"_I want to see you become like me. Hail the Doc-tor, the Great Exterminator!"_

"I'll do it!" he insisted, threatening to press it.

"_Then prove yourself Doc-tor. What are you, coward or killer?_" The Doctor tried to throw the final switch, but he couldn't. He let go of the bar and stepped back, "Coward, any day."

"_Gaia will be harvested because of your weakness," _the Emperor roared.

"And what about me?" asked the Doctor, "Am I becoming one of your angels?"

"_You are the heathen, you will be exterminated!"_ The Daleks raised their lasers.

"Maybe it's time," the Doctor sighed. He closed his eyes and braced himself, but a strange noise startled him. _Vrrrrm, vrrrrrm, _ it was the sound of the Tardis.

"Alert! Tardis materializing!" a Dalek reported. The Doctor opened his eyes and spun around.

"_You will not escape!"_ The Tardis appeared in front of him, the light glowing bright gold. The Doctor stumbled to back away from it, falling next to his Delta Wave. The doors flew open, Roseluck slowly walked out of the Tardis, silhouetted by blinding golden light. Pure golden energy formed a pair of wings and a unicorn horn, making Roseluck looked like an alicorn princess, her eyes glowed with the same pure power.

"What've you done?" demanded the Doctor, shocked. Roseluck looked at him, "I looked into the Tardis, and the Tardis looked into me."

"You looked into the Time Vortex, Roseluck, nopony's meant to do that!" the Doctor cried.

"_This is an abomination!"_ the God of all Daleks roared.

"Exterminate!" squawked one of the Daleks, it fired a beam at Roseluck. She raised her hoof and caught it, the blue beam vanished.

"I am the Bad Wolf," she said, "I create myself. I take the words, I scatter them in time and space. A message to lead myself here."

"Roseluck, you've got to stop this!" the Doctor cried, "You've got to stop this now! You've got the entire Vortex running through your head you're gonna burn!"

"I want you safe," she said sadly, "My Doctor. Protected from the false god."

"_You cannot hurt me!" _the false god roared, "_I am immortal._"

"You are tiny," the Bad Wolf said, looking up at him, eyes glowing like suns, "I can see the whole of time and space. Every single atom of your existence and I divide them." She looked to her left and pointed at a Dalek, it slowly dissolved into golden dust.

"Everything must come to dust," she said, raising her wings, "All things, everything dies." The Bad Wolf looked up at the false god, "The Time War ends." One by one, each and every Dalek dissolved into golden energy. Outside the station, the ships each vanished in swirls of golden light.

"_I will not die!"_ the Emperor cried, "_I cannot die!_" Around him, his ship vanished into dust, until the Emperor of the Daleks was no more. The armada was gone in a matter of moments. The Doctor looked up at Roseluck, "Roseluck, you've done it. Now stop, just let it go."

"How can I let go of this? I bring life!" Somwhere else on Game Station, Captain Jack Harness came back to life, gasping for air.

"But this is wrong!" the Doctor cried, getting to his hooves, "You can't control life and death!"

"But I can," Roseluck insisted, "The sun and the moon, the day and the night. But why do they hurt?"

"The power's going to kill you and it's my fault."

"I can see everything," Roseluck said, eyes welling with tears, "All that is, all that was, all that ever could be."

"That's what I see," the Doctor said, "All the time. Doesn't it drive you mad?"

"My head,"

"Come here."

"It's killing me."

"I think you need a Doctor." The Doctor leaned forward and kissed her, there was a bright flash of light, and all the energy inside of Roseluck transferred into the Doctor. She collapsed, the Doctor lowered her gently to the ground, then he turned to the Tardis. He exhaled and the Time energy flowed out of him, returning to its place inside the Tardis.

When his eyes stopped glowing, the Doctor stood there for a moment. He looked down at Roseluck, and smiled, she'd risked her life and entire existence to save his. Stupid pony, but at the same time, absolutely brilliant.

* * *

Captain Jack slowly got to his hooves, he was alive, but how? The Daleks had fired and, he wasn't dead. He took a few shaky steps forward and knelt next to a pile of dust, it was right where the Daleks had been. Suddenly, he heard something. The Tardis! He took to the air and flew up to floor five hundred.

But he was too late. The blue box was already gone, leaving him stranded.

* * *

Roseluck yawned, "What happened?" She was lying on the floor of the Tardis, her jacket mildly scorched and a small headache.

"Don't you remember?" asked the Doctor, standing by the Tardis controls.

"It's like, there was this singing," she said sitting up.

"That's right, I sang a song and the Daleks ran away," he joked.

"I was at home, no I wasn't, I was in the Tardis, and there was this light… I can't remember anything else," said Roseluck, getting to her hooves. The Doctor cringed, he glanced down at one of his front hooves, traces of yellow energy flowed just under the skin. And when they vanished, his hoof became a darker grey blue.

"Roseluck, I was going to take you to so many places," he mused, "Barcelona, the planet Barcelona. You'd love it, fantastic place. They've got dogs with no noses. Imagine how many time a day you end up telling that joke and it's still funny!"

"Then why can't we go?" asked Roseluck skeptically.

"Maybe you will, maybe I will," the Doctor replied, "But not like this."

"You're not making sense."

"I might never make sense again!" he cried happily, "I might have two heads, or no head. Imagine me with no head. And don't say that's an improvement. But it's a bit dodgy this process. You never know what you're going to end up with-" he suddenly flashed bright gold and cried out In pain. Rosleuck stepped forward to try and help.

"Doctor!"

"Stay away!"

"Doctor, tell me what's happening," Roseluck asked, concerned. The Doctor took slow breaths to try and relax, "I absorbed all the energy of the Time Vortex, and nopony's meant to do that. Every cell in my body's dying."

"Can't you do something?" asked Roseluck.

"Yeah, I'm doing it now," he replied, "Time-Ponies have this little trick, it's sort of a way of cheating death. Except, it means I'm going to change, and I'm not going to see you again. Not like this. Not with this daft old face. And before I go-"

"Don't say that," insisted Roseluck.

"Roseluck, before I go, I just want to tell you, you were fantastic. Absolutely fantastic. And you know what?" the Doctor smiled, "So was I." Golden light burst out of the Doctor, blinding Roseluck. It swirled around him creating a bubble of golden energy. As it swirled, he changed. Changing color, size, attitude, all of it. Only moments later, the energy vanished, dropping a new stallion onto the metal floor of the Tardis.

He had spiky and wild brown hair, a chestnut colored coat, big brown eyes, the same hourglass cutie mark, he was thinner because the Doctor's jacket hung on his shoulders like a shawl, and the sleeves seemed shorter on his slightly taller figure. Roseluck stared at him, confused and terrified.

"Hello," he said cheerfully, his accent similar to Roseluck's, "Okay oh…" He felt his teeth, "New teeth, that's weird. So, where was I? Oh that's right, Barcelona."

_To be continued in Born Again. And here's what to expect.  
_

_"I demand to know who you are!"_

_"I'm the Doctor and I just snogged Miamore Cadenza!"_

_"Bullets can't stop it!"_

_"Delete!"_

_"Welcome to Torchwood."_

_"The beast will rise from the pit."_

_"RUN!"_

**Me: Say goodbye to the ninth Doctor, and hello to the Tenth. This marks the end of season one, and I can't wait to see you guys in season two.**

**For the final time in season one, Hasbro owns Gaia and all the ponies upon it. BBC owns Gallifrey, the Daleks, and the Bad Wolf. Yuji8sushi drew the amazing cover art. I simply added a pony touch to it all. Transcripts of most Doctor Who episodes courtesy of .  
**

**And until I see you next, bye!**


End file.
